“AT the age of 47, I can safely say that I have been in farming for almost all of my life,” says Charles Richmond, who explained to the Pepperpot Magazine that for a long as he can remember he has been farming and does not ever see it as difficult or burdensome.

A resident of the Perth-Mahaicony Village, Region Five, who is full of zeal and determination, Richmond sees himself as being one with the soil: tilling and harvesting from the soil, while using it as a connection to rear his pigs and poultry. Richmond, who is involved in rice, as well as cash crop planting, finds himself very good at rearing pigs and poultry also.

JACK OF MANY TRADES
This farmer has been described by some of his co-farmers as a very pleasant man and a ‘jack of many trades’. The Pepperpot Magazine was told that he is a good carpenter, mason, plumber and fits well into other vocations and because of these qualities, he is well able to prepare the settings for his pigs, poultry and other aspects of his farm.

He surmises that he strives to make farming a profitable and hopeful means of livelihood, which can serve to encourage young men. Starting with farming from an early age and taking it more seriously as the years went by, could have only come about because of the level of harvest and market access that were made available, through vision, keen insight and willpower, he posited.

DEVELOPMENTAL INSTITUTIONS
Studies have shown that like many other professions, farming is not only becoming a more attractive and dynamic enterprise for young people to get involved in, but that it can also break the bonds of unemployment and poverty while getting rid of some of the social problems and hopelessness within the society.

In the Journal of the Caribbean Economic Agro-Economic Society (2017), Arnold Mendonca, IICA (Guyana) Sustainable Rural Development Specialist, through a case study done on the Perth-Mahaicony Farmers’ Association stated: “The effects of climate change, irregular rainfall patterns, flooding and market forces, are collective challenges faced by the farmers in Perth Mahaicony Village, Region Five, Guyana. To overcome these climate effects, rural farmers have been desperately seeking to diversify their production bases in multiple areas, in order to spread their risk. One diversification effort, pig farming, despite initially showing low profitability from primary production sales, is now evolving into a profitable value-added activity through the improvement of the value chain for the production of pork products namely hams and sausages.”

FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Many farmers in this area have benefitted from financial and technical assistance; training interventions of organisational strengthening, agro-processing and marketing through the Ministry of Agriculture and other developmental institutions, promoting sustainable improvement to the value chain for pork production as one of the major products.

“These actions have afforded farmers the continual ability to produce and market pork products in an excellent way, while generating added income from the realisation of larger profits, compared to previous profits gained from the sales of fresh pork meat previously sold,” the study disclosed. Richmond is very much a part of the realisation process.

The Perth Mahaicony Farmers Association is made up several villages on the East Coast and Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice). The economic activities in these villages include rice farming, as well as fruit, vegetable and root crop; the rearing of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, poultry rearing, fishing, hunting and other labour-related activities.

THE WEATHER A NATURAL CHALLENGE
Meanwhile, Richmond, who can be considered a man of the soil and enjoys farming – at all levels, has his own challenges too, some of which may be out of his control at times. With all the drainage and irrigation available in the Perth-Mahaicony community, flooding can pose a problem especially with the constant rainfall that is now being experienced.

Rice and other crops such as vegetables and root crops can suffer from too little water or too much water and the latter seems to be the problem in some cases. Even the rearing of poultry, pigs, sheep and goats; fishing and hunting; as well as other labour-related activities can be affected by adverse weather conditions. Richmond experiences his fair share of these conditions; however, he was quick to say that he was not complaining since he has been developing ways of working around these natural situations, especially because of the unpredictability of the weather.

Access to ready markets or the right price for his produce does pose a problem from time to time, but Richmond explained that even though he suffers losses at times, he is aware that agriculture like many other occupations have some fall-outs, but that he is never daunted since he is always able to find a way out. (mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)