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| By Latoya Giles Just one day after Caribbean Ministers of Agriculture all agreed that the region needed to do more farming to feed itself, Chinese workers on the airport project yesterday destroyed several acres of crops belonging to farmers at Timehri.The Chinese workers are currently doing “soil testing” as the airport extension project continues. This newspaper was told that the workers came on Thursday morning with excavators to “grade” the land down, but residents protested. The workers eventually called in the police who instructed the residents to remove.A large plot of land which was excavated.The workers returned Friday morning and began excavating the area. When Kaieteur News visited the area yesterday several angry farmers were protesting against the destruction of their crops.Steven Edwards, a father of five, was in tears when he said that he had been farming at the location for more than 18 years. Edwards said that several other elders from the community who had cleared away the forest areas, had begun farming there. The man said that his entire eight acres of crops that included eddoes, sweet potatoes,Gordon Hayward Jersey, pears, bananas and coconuts were all destroyed.Edwards told Kaieteur News that while he’s not against development in the country, the government should have thought about the problems which would have been associated with the project.“The government just come and decides that we have to move…move and go where? I farming here for 18 years…working hard to maintain my family and just like that everything is destroyed.”Another farmer, Royston Holder, told Kaieteur News that he has been in the area forSeveral coconuts trees which were destroyedalmost 16 years. Holder plants eddoes,2018 NFL Draft Jersey, coconuts and other “cash crops”. He too was in tears as he spoke to Kaieteur News.“I got two children to mine…this Government want people turn bad, because you trying to make a honest living and they bringing Chinese to destroy we land,http://www.soccerpro.us.com/Arsenal-FC/,” Holder told Kaieteur News. He had about six acres of crops destroyed.Holder said that since the government is insisting that they move they should make preparations for them to farm elsewhere.“They want us to move but them not saying where we going to go…I’m a Guyanese and I can’t go to China and do what these Chinese people doing to we,Austin Hooper Falcons Jersey,” Holder said. This new development would definitely send a distasteful message to the Caribbean States which participated in the recent week-long activities at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture.Recently Public Works Minister Robeson Benn said that some 70 house lots are being sought for Timehri North residents in the immediate path of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) extension project.Benn had stated that the housing process is being facilitated by the CJIA. He saidWorkers in action yesterday.that airport officials and the Public Works Ministry have already written to the Housing Ministry for 70 house lots which would be given to those persons immediately affected by the airport’s extension.The minister explained that the residents do not have to go to the Housing Ministry to receive the house lots,WBC Jerseys, but stated that they will be called in when locations have been ascertained. He mentioned that this is being determined based on the residents request as to where they prefer the house lots, since some persons have requested land along the East Coast and other places. Some have opted for Yarrowkabra.Back in April the authorities at the country’s only international airport were stumped by the decision of the National Assembly to cut funding for its extension plan by $5.3 billion and were uncertain about the status of the project.The Opposition, in effecting the budget cut,Paul Kariya Ducks Throwback Jersey, had argued that the government has been less than transparent on the extension plan for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). |
