Forging ahead with a pioneering spirit in agriculture - Intermediate Savannahs, the new frontier
A GINA Feature
Georgetown , GINA, September 12, 2004
Government is continuing its efforts to diversify agricultural production countrywide and farmers are finding new ways of enhancing and developing their product. Guyana 's Intermediate Savannahs, Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) is now becoming a new frontier in agricultural development.
Several farmers have been issued land leases in the Savannahs where they are producing crops and livestock on a large scale.
The Intermediate Savannahs are in Berbice, immediately south of the Coastal Plains, about 160 km from the ocean and form a unique and fragile eco-zone. The Savannahs spread in a south-westerly direction on both the east and west banks of the Berbice River and adjoin the upland rain forests.
The savannahs were first used in the 1940s as a resting area for cattle driven along the Rupununi Cattle Trail from the South Savannah region, to markets in Georgetown . The vast expanses of brown, sandy soils provided a native grass that was nutritionally inadequate for the recuperation of the animals.
During the past 20 years, pioneering farmers ventured inland away from their traditional 'slash and burn' corn food crop systems on the riverain soils, and adopted improved technologies for the cultivation of peanut and cowpea on the savannah's sandy soils. Although farmers have achieved modest success, much more could be achieved if the appropriate technology is used.
Scientific investigations were done to generate technologies in soil management, agronomy, pest management and integrated sustainable agricultural production systems appropriate for agricultural development.
In the 1970s and 1980s, some large and medium scale investments were launched. The investments included row-cropping with cereals and grain legumes, cotton and cassava, as well as livestock pasture systems. The elevation of the area is between 35 and 85 meters above sea level.
During a recent outreach to the Region, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Other Crops and Livestock Satyadeow Sawh visited two farms.
He and a team of officials visited the Dubulay Ranch owned by Alex Mendez and the Goldfield Investments Farm owned by Gobin Dwarkha.
At Dubulay, several crops are being cultivated along with the rearing of cattle and other livestock. Proprietor Alex Mendez said it is a challenging task to farm in the area due to the soil type, the heat, the high transportation costs and the peculiarity of the land which makes it hard to irrigate.
He stated that they have not found a niche as yet as they are experimenting with several crops including sorghum, corn, and citrus. The cattle and buffalo, however, are thriving there, since along with savannah grass, mineral supplements are given to the animals.
He pointed out that if someone is willing to invest in the Savannahs by providing transportation and markets for produce, farmers there would be better off.
At Dubulay, a small abattoir was constructed which will be fully operational by Christmas. It is expected that about 10 animals would be slaughtered per month to supply local demand. The facility will be upgraded and the farmer hopes to look into overseas markets in the future. In the meanwhile the meat would be sent to Bounty Farms Limited to be packaged and labelled.
Mr. Mendez also successfully cultivates red beans at the farm. He has brought a combine from Brazil and has mechanized the harvesting process.
When asked what has motivated his success, Mr. Mendez said it is a love of farming and a bond with the land.
Director of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) Dr. Oudhu Homenauth said the cultivation of soya bean has been successful; but like rice, it needs to be done on a large scale to be profitable. Storage and drying facilities have to be constructed.
Minister Sawh said youths should take notice of this pioneering spirit and get involved, as it offers many advantages and opportunities. He assured that Government will continue to provide necessary support to the agriculture sector.
At Goldfield Investments, crops being cultivated include passion fruit, cherries, sorghum, corn, soursop, papaya, red beans, mangoes, pineapples, guavas and citrus.
Corn is being cultivated on 300 acres of land and the produce is being sold to local mills which manufacture chicken feed. There is also a plant nursery, providing seedlings. Crop rotation is being done on the concession to ensure soil fertility. Crop rotation reduces fertilizer requirements.
At present, the black-eye and red beans cultivated at the farm supply the local market. A simple, locally-made dryer is being used to dry the beans to be packaged for sale. The management of the farm is looking to expand its market for peppers, which are successfully grown on the farm.
The owner is now starting to rear pigs, using an integrated farming technique. The sorghum and corn cultivated on the land are being used to feed pigs and the waste generated is fermented to produce biogas for cooking.
Several houses have been constructed for workers who have come all the way from Paramakatoi in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni).
Several pens have been constructed for the rearing of chickens being used mostly for egg production.
The savannahs offer an ideal investment climate for pioneering farmers and entrepreneurs in agriculture and agro-industrial development. The Intermediate Savannahs' eco-zone is considered the "second frontier" for major agricultural development, after the highly-populated low-lying coastal area dominated by rice and sugar cane.
There are about 80,000 hectares of grass and scrub tree-covered Savannahs in the eco-zone and about 50,000 hectares of soil with fair to good potential for agricultural development. The soils of the savannah have been generally classified by the United Nations' Soil Survey as land capability Class 11, moderate agricultural land.
NARI has also been actively involved in assisting farmers in the Savannahs with technical assistance to further enhance their farms and production systems.
Several large and small-scale farmers have benefited from Government's distribution of over 50 land leases in the area. These include large-scale investors such as LIDCO, Georgie Caribbean, Alex Mendez and Goldfield Investments, as well as small farmers in the Wiruni Savannahs.
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