The ranchers had visited the Minister’s office some time ago and complained that other ranchers had encroached on their grazing area and fenced it off.

The area, George’s Savannah, had been used for years for communal grazing, where ranchers in the entire Cane Grove area would take their cattle.

The owner of Trans Pacific Motor Spares and Auto Sales, along with relatives, has decided to start a project utilizing the land space at the Savannah, which they have fenced. The project includes the rearing of goats, sheep, cattle and later aquaculture, to which the group is willing to invest approximately $10M. The ranchers who have been using the savannah for years were not told about the project.

The Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) had applied to the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission for the land to be utilised for communal grazing purposes. The group encroached on 432 acres of land and the other ranchers felt that that the land space left would not accommodate their cattle adequately.

Sawh met with both parties and outlined a course of action, which was accepted by all stakeholders. The Minister noted that so far there is no animosity between the two groups, since they are not averse to development and progress. He stated that there has not been enough communication between the two parties and urged that they meet and discuss the problem. He asked the owner of Trans Pacific Motor Spares to explain his project for the residents there.

The National Dairy Development Programme (NDDP) has been mandated to visit the Savannah and ascertain the amount of land available there, the status of the pastures and the number of cattle being reared presently.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission has been mandated to convene a meeting between the two parties to discuss the issue and come to an agreement.