Farmers protest at White Hall

A SMALL group of farmers from Ramgoolie Settlement in Curepe gathered opposite the Prime Minister’s White Hall Office yesterday to protest the destruction of approximately $200,000 — $300,000 worth of produce by  National Housing Authority (NHA) bulldozers.

Education and Research Officer of the National Foodcrop Association (NFA) Norris Deonarine said government had plans to build houses at the back of Ramgoolie Trace but the 30-acres of  lands had been occupied by some 25 farmers for over 30 odd years. Deonarine said: “No notice was given to the farmers to move from the lands or anything, and they just sent bulldozers to bulldoze farmers crops that were bearing.” He added that “in 2003, no government can’t be so oppressive in nature that just because they want to win an election in St Joseph or some marginal area ... that they will come and remove farmers, unscrupulously, and just get rid of them to build houses.”

This claim was echoed by the other protesters as they shook their heads in unison, as Deonarine made this statement. Deonarine said the lands belonged to the Ministry of Agriculture, St Augustine Nurseries and “the people who came to do the bulldozing were from NHA, whose Ministry falls under Martin Joseph.” He claimed Joseph was “the so-called strategist in the PNM, as he was building houses in marginal areas. “We believe that farmers should be treated with respect and there are enough lands around where houses can be built,” he added.

Deonarine said the farmers were hoping to sensitise the country about the way that farmers were being treated by this administration. “We are above party politics,” he said. “When we produce food for the country, we don’t study if you are from a political party or what, as we are doing our patriotic duty.” Deonarine concluded that any country hoping to achieve developed country status has to be able to feed themselves, and maintain a level of economic independence. Deonarine said the farmers had contacted Agriculture Minister John Rahael about their problems but there had been no feedback.