Cromarty Village
Cromarty Village is located in Corentyne, Berbice,
Region Six. It is a small village of about 200
persons most of whom are farmers. The community
has much agricultural potential. In this
photo, a resident proudly displays a watermelon
from his farm (Carl Croker photo)
Cromarty Village is located in Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six. It is a small village of about 200 persons most of whom are farmers. The community has much agricultural potential. In this photo, a resident proudly displays a watermelon from his farm (Carl Croker photo)

– Booming with agriculture

LAST week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the countryside village of Cromarty, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Corentyne-Berbice) to highlight the way of life of the locals.

Cromarty is an agriculture-based community where the main economic activity is farming, and it comprises predominantly Indo and Afro Guyanese numbering just over 200 residents.

The village has a few shops, a mandir, a nursery school and churches. There are about 70 houses.

There is a baker, a butcher and a few persons who rear and sell plucked chicken. The nearest market is about six miles away in Port Mourant.

A resident taking home his child after school

Cromarty is sandwiched between Wellington Park and Maida, then Kilmarnock followed by Philippi. It is a close-knit village of families and family members who mostly live side by side and the people are humble and down-to-earth.

There are no all-weather streets in Cromarty, only alleyways and dams.

The village is situated on the public road where houses are on both sides, and this community has vast back and reef lands used for farming.

Cromarty is the home of celery, among other produce and almost every space in the yards is utilised for planting cash crops.

Cromarty Village signage at the public road

The people are old-fashioned and set in the traditions of their foreparents, who have long passed on, but they continue to farm and engage in skills-based activities to make a living.

Most locals have lived all their lives in Cromarty Village and do not wish to relocate even though things can be a bit slower in that part of the country.

The people of Cromarty eat fresh and have a farm-to-table concept and there are a lot of senior citizens who are blessed with longevity.

Kelvin Pestano, the farmer/pastor
The team also met a very enterprising and hardworking young man, Kelvin Pestano, a farmer and pastor.

He is the father of one, works on the farm alongside his father, and is a part-time worker.

The 31-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that he is also a supervisor attached to the Maida-Tarlogie NDC Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) and he is from a long line of farmers in his family.

It is a family tradition to be a farmer and he is quite humbled by the prospect of living off the land since there are not many other jobs readily available.

Pestano’s farm is located about a mile from his house and is on the third reef in the back lands area.

He related that during May/June they are directly affected by the heavy rainfall due to flooding and the loss of crops.

Pestano is the elder leader at Cromarty Full Gospel Church and has been a congregation member for the past seven years.

“I followed my heart, a true calling to become an elder leader in the church and the journey has been fulfilling so far,” he said.

The Cromarty Full Gospel Church has 65 members and he considers himself to have a good relationship with God and has the full support of his family.

Pestano described life in Cromarty as being good and stated that once hard work and honesty are part of everyday life things will remain positive.

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