Dear Editor,
THE Pomeroon was once the food basket of the Caribbean; today it is neglected, farmers have moved away from their lands in search of a better living, seeking gold. Almost all the farm lands are left abandoned–70, 000 acres of coconut farms were overrun by bush because of no proper drainage and the deadly red mite coconut disease.

The Pomeroon has the most fertile lands in Guyana. I can attest to this because I worked on several projects in the area. Anything can grow on it but drainage is the biggest problem. In the past, farmers had a regular market in Trinidad to supply water coconuts and dry nuts.

Realistically, it should be 10,000 acres according to the latest figures and another 10,000 acres under cultivated. There is great scope for joint ventures but no attention is being paid to these fertile lands and we are losing our farmers daily. This is a good area for the government to invest some of the oil money and make Pomeroon once again the food basket. Notwithstanding the extensive news coverage given every day about oil-find in our waters. The most important crisis facing the world today is the inadequacy of food.

Lots of plantain, citrus and coffee were exported from Pomeroon in the 60’s and early 70’s, according to Mr Deleep Singh, the president of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and a big farmer from the Pomeroon; he had exported a lot of copra to Trinidad. Other farmers like former minister of the PNC, Mr Kassim were doing the same. Right now this place has great potentials. It is the largest coconut producing area in the Caribbean. Mr Singh told me that he has a plan for the development of Pomeroon.

The Government and the Ministry of Agriculture need to pay more attention to the Pomeroon so that farmers, big and small, can go back to the lands and produce bountifully. I have noticed that NARIE has its agriculture extension officers in the affected fields working to eradicate the red mite diseases. This is a good sign; it will encourage the farmers back on the lands, at the same time new plants will be needed from the nursery at Charity. A coconut festival was held last year at Charity, but it did not get the support of the big farmers in the Pomeroon.

Our policy must be to expand food production in Pomeroon for export. In the years ahead, food prices will rise more sharply than oil prices. We have to give serious consideration to the question of regional food security. We therefore have a duty as a nation to use our agricultural lands which are left idle, by promoting Pomeroon as the food basket.

Regards
Mohamed Khan