Orealla now focusing on agriculture

Orealla now focusing
on agriculture
Kaieteur News, 8 October 2007

OREALLA, CORENTYNE RIVER – With reduced logging, the reservation of
Orealla must now focus on other avenues of employment. As a counter
effect, the Orealla Village Council has been encouraging residents to
get more involved in agriculture.

Councilor of the Orealla Village Council, Carl Peneux, said the
community must change its economic base from a logging one to a more
crop and livestock oriented one. “This is one problem – employment.
Basically we were a logging community and our logs have been depleted
to a great extent. So we don't have the amount and quality of logs
remaining there. This situation has been there for the past three or
four years now.”

He spoke of many of the challenges facing those in both Orealla and
Siparuta as they strive for the change.

Historically Orealla is known for its subsistence farming which
involves the minority of residents. Initially they planted mostly
bitter cassava, ground provision, pineapples, banana and water melon.

This was so since logging was the main economic activity and
agriculture was side lined.

Mr. Peneux said with the rapid depletion of logs from the reservation,
more residents realized the need for farming and not on subsistence
basis but on a large scale, particularly for pineapples and bitter
cassava.

He said many of them even got involved in the cultivation of red beans,
black eye peas and corn. Some even turned to rearing meat birds on a
commercial basis.

The Councilor said, “We are looking for markets for the produce.
Pineapples have been one of the main crops in Orealla and Siparuta,
along with cassava bread and cassava cassareep. We are encouraging the
people to plant more bitter cassava but then we cannot market the
bitter cassava as it is. The bitter cassava is used to make cassava
bread and cassareep so we want to look for markets on the coast and out
of Guyana for those two cassava by-products.”

At one time there was a farmers' association in the reservation. This
body assisted its members to secure loans from the Institute of Private
Enterprise Development . At present some of the residents are focusing
on citrus products and some are preparing to give rice cultivation a
shot.

Through the Building Community Capacity Project residents of both
Orealla and Siparuta are benefiting from a CIDA-funded project intended
to set off at least 150 households in the agriculture drive.

According to Councilor Peneux, through this ‘Improve Livelihood Through
Agriculture Programme', over a one-year period $10.3 million worth in
agricultural equipment, stock feeds, chemicals, meat birds, ducklings,
kids and piglets and the like would be given.

The venture is spearheaded by the Orealla/Siparuta Community
Development Organisation.

On the Orealla reservation, there are two savannahs – Orealla and
Piruru. The Village Council identified these two locations for cattle
rearing and other livestock farming as well as for the cultivation of
peanuts.

As their development plans continue to unfold, a village market is
taking shape. At present, stalls are erected along the track but
eventually finance would be sought for a proper structure.

Among the challenges facing these residents are plant diseases and pest
attacks. He said that help is needed to identify the diseases and the
ways of eradication. The acoushi ants have always been a problem for
them.

Touching on logging, he pointed out that many of the loggers ply their
trade in the Mango Landing, 30 miles from Orealla, and at White Hill,
approximately 50 miles outside the village.

About 20 residents are employed by the Council and are required to pay
the royalty. They were issued logging permits.

Last Monday at the launching of Agriculture Month it was announced that
the village may soon have a portable sawmill to allow for maximized
returns and safer practices. In addition, the loggers no longer would
vend the logs but sell finished products in the form of board and
scantlings.

Councilor Peneux said though the logs are depleted, the forest itself
is not destroyed. This, he said, is due to the fact that loggers adhere
to the guidelines set out by the Guyana Forestry Commission.

Based on the species, the trees are felled according to a particular
requirement and if this is not done, the logs would be seized.

Commissioner at the Guyana Forestry Commission, James Singh, has said
that inventory, management planning, understanding the forest laws,
code of practice for forest operators and log tagging are just some of
the areas in which residents of both Orealla and Siparuta were trained.

He praised the residents there for an increased implementation of
guidelines that were set out by the Guyana Forestry Commission and
called for more effective compliance.

The Government, through the Forestry Department of the Ministry of
Agriculture, shared a bond with the Orealla and Siparuta Loggers' Group
from as far back as the 1960s.