How one Farmer is showcasing innovation with greenhouse techniques in Dora.

GUYANA is home to countless communities that showcase agricultural excellence, and farming in Dora adds another dimension. The people of this riverine community have taken innovative steps in agriculture. Farming on the banks of the river in sandy soil is no easy task; with the added pressure of climate change, Dora farmers have had to rethink many of their traditional practices. Among them is sixty-four-year-old John Rampersaud. When his crops began to wither due to harsh weather, John began teaching himself new farming practices. These practices, he says, have saved his farm and are alternatives that he believes other farmers in Dora should learn.

The origins of Dora are mostly a mystery, but according to John, a lifelong villager, Dora began as an Amerindian mission and was home to the Wai Wai people. As he explained, “Dora was an old Amerindian mission. I think the Wai Wai tribe used to live in Dora years ago. I think there are only two places in Guyana where the Wai Wai tribe used to live, and Dora was one of them.”

Like many of Dora’s older generation, John was raised in agriculture and continues to farm years later. However, transporting produce is a major issue for a community bordering rivers and hills. As John stated, “After leaving school, I started to work with my parents on the farm. Until now, at the age of 63, I’m still farming. Some of the major problems in Dora are related to transportation. When we plant and get our produce, transporting it is a big, major problem.”

A community leader in his own right, John shared another plight of Dora farmers: prices. As he shared, “When we take our produce to the market, let’s say pumpkins are selling for $150 per pound; we might only get $50 per pound. We, the farmers who are doing the hard work, never get a fair price. I mean, not even a quarter of the price; we always get below, just about a quarter or a little over that.”

Population decline is also something that John says has had a drastic impact on the community. With fewer people in the community, there is less work. This trend has led to many people leaving Dora in recent years. As John stated, “Dora community is getting smaller now because the population is decreasing. They are moving out from the area because Tiwari has bought out the land here at Dora, and most of the people are moving out. So Dora, I must say that the community is getting smaller. The population is going right down.”

Regardless of the challenges Dora faces, the community spirit persists. The villagers make time for community gatherings, showing that the spirit of Dora lives in its people. These small celebrations often garner support from villagers who have left and new people. “Sometimes we just have a little cricket and things. But right now, the playfield is very bad. In the old days, I had my own playground up there; I built my own playground at the back here.”

With challenges surrounding agriculture everywhere, the added pressure of climate change has made small-scale farming a hard task. As John explained, “I used to plant a lot of bananas earlier, but then we got a disease. So we changed from that to planting cash crops. Right now, we have pepper in the greenhouse and things like pumpkin, karela, okra, greens, and vegetables.”

He further explained that his challenges are not unique. Climate change has brought many issues that John and other farmers sought ways to deal with. “The climate change and the different weather patterns make it difficult. So now, when you plant outside in the open air, when the rain falls and you get all types of weather, the plants don’t last long; you get more stress, a lot of disease. But under the greenhouse, where you control the water, you limit the water and give it to the plants when necessary.”

John has taught himself the dos and don’ts of greenhouse farming, an agricultural practice unfamiliar to the farmers in Dora. John says his new practices have helped him greatly. “So, I find that when you limit the water, the plant grows and lasts longer. I started greenhouse farming about three years ago. The crop lasts a longer time because, outside, pepper plants might pick for about eight or nine months and then finish.”

In John’s case, passion has fostered a necessary know-how. He shared that the little he has learned about greenhouse farming has changed the way he understands agriculture, and his farm has seen great success. As he stated, “In the greenhouse, you can run for over a year and a half. I didn’t have any formal training about it; I have an agriculture book, so I just use that a little, along with my own experience.”

John’s story is a testament to the true innovation of the Dora farmers. Despite numerous challenges, from harsh weather conditions to market pressures, they continue to adapt and find new ways to sustain their livelihoods.