Dear Editor,
There is a very fertile plot of land in Nappi Village that is currently being utilised for subsistence farming but has the capacity to be converted into commercial farming that could provide the Rupununi region with sustainable produce in this time of high food costs. However, the farmers of Nappi need asssistance in constructing an all-weather road into the area to assist in transporting produce to Lethem.
Maipaima lies on the eastern foothills of the Kanuku mountains within the Nappi Amerindian Village. It is legendary for its fertility, often producing citrus and ground provisions in very large quantities. It has been said that scientific research undetaken on this soil has proven it to be among the most fertile in the entire country. Yet, Maiapima has never been anything more than just subsistence farming because of the difficulty in accessing the area. Farmers have had to walk through waist deep mud and slush to get to their farms during the rainy season.
Every year thousands of citrus are left to rot because there is no means of transporting the produce to areas such as Lethem or Bon Fim. Right now tangerines, oranges and grapefruit in the thousands are rotting on trees in Maipaima because there is no transportation to get them to markets. Ground provisions also have had to rot because of lack of transportation.
At a time when food prices are getting steeper and even the most basic of commodities comes at a very high price, the case of Maipaima being left undeveloped seems criminal. With proper development Maipaima and other similar areas along the Kanuku foothills, could alleviate the high food costs gripping the Rupununi.
But there needs to be some vision. For a start there needs to be an all-weather road from Nappi Village to the farming areas. This distance covers approximately 12 km. If this stretch of road is built and bridges constructed over the three creeks along the road, then farmers will be able to get their produce to markets.
Yes, it will cost a bit to implement such an infrastructural project, but the potential long term benefits far outweigh this cost.
How difficult can such an undertaking be? The benefits seem immeasurable, yet for decades such an initiative was never undertaken.
There will be a lot of local produce ranging from vegetables to provisions to fruits, etc. Then there will be employment for the local people. If ever there was a time for such an undertaking, it is now! Escalating food prices should be the catalyst for agricultural development. It is all well and good for the government to issue seeds to farmers but some infrastructural work needs also to be undertaken.
This plea therefore goes out to the government to see what can be done to alleviate the plight of the farmers in Maipaima. It will not only benefit the Nappi farmers but indeed the people of the Rupununi.
The regional authorities are said to be contemplating building another road connecting the sub-communities of Nappi and Hiawa. Why do this when there is already an excellent road between the two communities? It would better serve Nappi Village if this money was spent constructing an all-weather road into the Maipaima farmlands. If there are donor agencies which provide funding for such initiatives, contact can be made with the Nappi Village Council to get further information.
Why should the people of the Rupununi be feeling the brunt of this food crisis when there are alternatives available?
Yours faithfully,
M Abraham
