Farmers vs farmers in Curepe

THE National Food Crop Farmers Association (NFFA) yesterday condemned the Curepe Farmers Association (CFA) for saying that it had no problem with being relocated from their present lands at Ramgoolie Trace to make way for the construction of National Housing Authority (NHA) houses there.

NFFA public relations specialist Anderson Morris slammed CFA President Rudolph Noel for “attempting to utilise their positions for personal gains” and “selling out the rest of the farmining community.” Morris claimed that the NFFA was formed in 1974 while the CFA is “an unregistered group”. He further alleged that former CFA vice-president Garvin Thomas was not a United National Congress (UNC) activist and the NFFA was not receiving financial backing from any homeowners in the Valsayn area.  Morris added that the CFA never met with Agriculture Minister John Rahael. He vowed that together with the eight farmers from Ramgoolie Trace who have taken their plight to the High Court, the NFFA “will fight on regardless of intimidation and violence and we will win.”

Rahael indicated on Wednesday that he had been meeting with the CFA for the last six weeks and confirmed Noel’s statement that all 20 of the Association’s farmers have agreed to the terms of relocation. Morris is also the public relations officer for Barataria/San Juan MP Dr Fuad Khan and Khan’s Guardian Angels group.