The Green Heart of Guyana

NESTLED some nine miles through the better-known village of Kuru Kuru is the charmingly authentic farming community of Laluni. The community boasts a population of more than 500 people from all walks of life, making it one of the largest communities along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Laluni is well known for its countless successful agricultural endeavours, so much so that the name Laluni has become synonymous with farming, and the community has seen the cultivation of all crops grown in Guyana. A drive through Laluni’s five parts will expose you to the true nature of diverse agriculture. With acres of cash crops, hundreds of coconut groves, and countless orchards, one can only wonder why farming in Laluni is unlike farming anywhere else.

Deokummar has called the village of Laluni home for as long as he can remember. Born and raised in the village of Laluni, ‘Deo’, as members of his community call him, has seen Laluni change throughout the years. The young farmer shared, “I have been in Laluni for a while; I was born here. I am a farmer, and I have been one up until now, and I am 31 years old. I have made reasonably successful farming, and that has become my job right now.”

But whether the changes have been subtle, modest, or drastic, the village’s agricultural nature has never been shaken. Quite the opposite has happened. With more effort, time and resources poured into Laluni’s agriculture, countless people have taken up the mantle, shovel, and wheelbarrow to begin forging their own paths as farmers at the forefront of one of Guyana’s largest agricultural endeavours.

Deo shared that growing up in Laluni was reminiscent of boyhood days in many rural areas of Guyana. His youth in Laluni was spent playing cricket, climbing trees, and running through the vast open farms that Laluni has to offer. Deo said, “Growing up here, we found it nice. We liked to play cricket. And the village was really quiet.”

Laluni still retains its quiet and serene nature now, only with many more people and produce to talk about. Like so many young men in Laluni, Deo took up farming right out of high school. He readily admitted that farming was not his initial choice, but after dropping out of school at 15, his parents encouraged him to join agriculture, and since then, he says, he has been reaping the rewards. He stated, “After I dropped out, I started to go into agriculture through my parents. I did well in it, and so I motivated myself more. I took on workers and got my tractor and transportation to go to the market. I think I am doing pretty well in farming.”

Challenges in farming are challenges for the community in Laluni. One of the issues that are oftentimes not considered is the time, work, and labour required to take produce from the farms to the market. Although work is being done in Laluni to combat the issue, according to Deo, good roads are far more important to a community of farmers than you would believe. “Our road was a bit of a mess, and that was one of the biggest challenges. But now we have got better roads,” Deo said.

Agriculture in Laluni has been used as a model for farming in other communities. Laluni farmers have crafted unique agricultural techniques and special crop cultivation methods that have proven to be successful in both small and large-scale farming. Deo explained how he has planted a special mixture of crops that grow well with each other and the soil at any given time. “I plant cash crops; I have tomatoes, sweet peppers and sweet corn, and I have watermelon. I do not plant just one crop, or depend on one crop; if I have a bad crop in one thing, I have something else to rely on.”

Deo explained that while farming is present throughout Guyana, he feels it has blossomed even more so in Laluni. There are challenges, he persisted, but striving against the challenges of agriculture is what brings successful farming to the forefront. As Deo stated, “I like Laluni a lot for the quietness. Farming is nice in Laluni, but there are challenges behind it.”