By Michel Outridge

JASON Jacey is a resident of Calcutta and apart from being a rice farmer, he also works in the hinterland.

However, when the Pepperpot Magazine visited, he was home and was part of a group of men in the village having a friendly chat.

The 30-year-old reported that apart from housewives, most people in the village have jobs either self-employed or working elsewhere.

During their spare time, the youths utilise the Community Centre Ground, which has a large ballfield and it is a peaceful place with no thieves or outside bad influence.

Jacey, a miner, said when he is not in Calcutta he is usually away in the interior working months at a time, but the community is his place of birth and his home is there.

As for Devon Jones, a farmer of pigs, sheep and rice, told the Pepperpot Magazine that life in Calcutta Village is good, but it entails a lot of hard work and dedication.

Jones added that his day starts at 04:00hrs when he tends to his livestock; thereafter, he would go to his garden, look after his cash crops of bora and boulanger and then move on to his rice fields.

The 32-year-old stated that he also has some chickens and ducks in his yard which he has to take care of as well.

The father of three noted that Calcutta is a blessed place because there is a place for all and they find things to do to earn.

“[In] this place, people don’t sit down and wait for nothing, they get up and get and we have a lot of people that are rearing livestock and involved in farming,” he said.

Jones pointed out that country life is very simple, but one has to be prepared to work to have a comfortable life and they try to utilise all the days of the week to earn a living.

He disclosed that the villagers have good relations with others in adjoining villages of Catherine and Recess, and they have no major issues, including that of race because the community is multi-cultured and they welcome everyone.

The Pepperpot Magazine also spoke with Emmanuel Klass, who is an Extension Officer at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice and is also an agricultural man.

The 29-year-old said he has lived all his life in Calcutta and that is the place he will remain because it is home and a place where one can get a livelihood.

He explained that the village has a lot of rice and livestock farmers; as such, it would be good if they can have a processing facility for fruit juices or a canning factory and it can also provide employment for youths.

Klass is a cash-crop farmer of celery and boulanger among other crops and he would market his produce within the village. He also rears pigs and sheep and described life there as well and quiet.

“We get a lot of fruits here and we need a facility to take it [sic] for processing and a lot of mangoes goes to waste in this village; in addition, the youths also need work, some are seeking jobs,” he said.