THE recent floods that affected several communities in Linden have resulted in a significant loss of agricultural produce, leaving the few farmers on a mission to push the township as an agricultural hub to ponder their next move.
Hardest hit of the many farms that were decimated by the floods were those in West Watooka, the agricultural hub of Linden, which remained under water up to last Wednesday.

This development has been described as a significant setback for the town, since tremendous strides were taken earlier in the year by local farmers who were being pushed by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to achieve the goal of Linden being able to feed itself.

It has been noted over the years that over 70 per cent of Linden’s food consumption are imported into the town by farmers and vendors from other areas such as Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three ( West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
With the plethora of trucks that enter Linden on a daily basis with fruits, vegetables and ground provisions, Linden farmers were placed at a distinct disadvantage, since many of their own people supported these outside vendors and farmers.
But from the latter part of 2016 and early 2017, many local farmers have emerged and proved to be competent competition for the outsiders, since many Lindeners are now supporting their own.

While Linden’s production is not where it should be, there was a significant increase not only for commercial production, but on a subsistence level, as many residents have diverted to the “green agenda” being pushed by the government.
Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle was one of Linden’s main farmers, Mr Pierce Ifill, proprietor of ‘Fresh from the West’, two of the largest farms in West Watooka.
Ifill said that because of the May-June rains, the farms in West Watooka were affected severely during last week, since they were completely inundated. Ifill said that in addition to the heavy rains, there are limited drains around West Watooka, and despite the fact that a few were cleaned a few months back, they are not capable of combating the floods.

MORE DRAINS
“We got to get more drains around the farming area; they only have one canal, or they have to extend the small drains that they have,” Ifill said.
The large-scale farmer said that while he cannot quantify his losses at this point, his plants have been affected severely, and there will be terrible after effects from the flood which will push not only his, but the town’s agricultural production backward. “The plants will be affected severely, because when the water catches the plants, you have a problem with the plant; it doesn’t be the same again,” he explained, adding that the crops most affected were the ochroes and pakchoi.

Having taken a severe beating, Ifill is now calling on the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to utilise the excavators owned by the government that are stationed in West Watooka to dig additional drains urgently to bring relief to the farmers in the area.
“We farmers just wasting a set of money, because those plants have to be fertilised over again,” the distraught farmer said, adding:
“They have to manure them up again, because we have a lot of leaks on the land, and the fertilisers washing off with the flood.

“Apart from that, you have to deal with a lot of fungus problem, because when floodwater touch the plants, it gets a lot of fungus and so.”
John, another West Watooka farmer who has been affected by the floods, has lost the will to farm again.

“This is not the first time for the year we get flood, and this really hurt me, because yuh trying to think positive to help out and then yuh get up and see this… Is like I just want chuck, man, because is like yuh planting to see it wash away,” the young farmer said.
In addition to the many farms that were destroyed, several residents from other communities such as Speightland, not only lost crops, but livestock and cattle as well. One resident lost two pigs, while another lost as many as 100 chickens.