Sisters beating the odds
– Expanding farming practices in Yarrowkabra
THREE sisters are capitalising on the advantages of farming in Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and at the same time, are beating the odds as they set their eyes on citrus, cash crop and sour-sop leaf exportation.
Located approximately 38 miles from the capital city, Yarrowkabra is known for farming. Its sandy soil type makes it ideal for farming citrus and cash crops in addition to poultry farming. The majority of the more than 5,000 residents there, either farm for domestic and or commercial purposes, and Janel, Jovita and Jehanne King are no exception.
For the past six years, these young women have been managing their family farm in Yarrowkabra. During a recent visit to the community, Jovita, the second of the three sisters, was busy moulding the citrus trees on the farm.
“We have a small-scale farm that is 100 per cent organic,” Jovita told the Pepperpot Magazine as she took a 15 minutes break from her routine farming activities.
On their farm measuring one acre, the sisters’ plant bora, tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, celery, parsley, carilli (corilla) and eggplant commonly called boulanger. Additionally, the farm is filled with soursop and papaya trees, in addition to lime, guava, coconut, tangerine, cherry and pear trees. Meat birds, ducks and goats are also reared on the farm.
Jovita explained that they would use animal manure with green manure as a form of organic fertiliser, stating clearly that no chemical fertilisers are used to grow their crops.
“Our farm is 100 per cent organic because as we rear our chickens, we would use the manure on our plants. Three years ago we had pigs and we would put the mould on the older trees because pig mould is very strong, you wouldn’t take chance to put it on the young cash crops but everything we use is from our compost, from our chicken farm, the ducks, the goats,” the 22-year-old further explained.
Presently, the sisters supply persons at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) with produce in addition to persons operating out of several Government Ministries on a daily basis while also selling to their neighbours and friends.
However, the girls – ages 20, 22 and 26 – are looking to expand their operation at Yarrowkabra and beyond, reaching as far as Long Creek where the family has managed to secure another plot of land.
“We are in the process of gathering additional lands and acquiring a loan that would allow us to expand. Right now we do small-scale farming but we are trying to reach the standard of exporting,” Jovita said.
She noted that while the family is hoping to export cash crops in the not so distant future, it is also looking for markets abroad for the sale of soursop and papaya leaves due to their health benefits.
Rich in protein, calcium, fructose, fat, vitamins ‘A’ and ‘B’, soursop leaves are said to have excellent medical properties that can treat cancer, uric acid, back pain, eczema and rheumatism. Papaya leaves reportedly have anti-malarial properties and are good for treatment of the hair and skin.
“So we are hoping to get a market to export and be used locally for health purposes,” said an optimistic Jovita.
Until they acquire the necessary lands and loan needed to upgrade their farming, Jovita said they will continue to maintain their farm at Yarrowkabra, but that is not without its challenges.
“As it stands now we are not having steady water up here. We still struggle with water, sometimes we have to pump from the creek many days, and the weather changes because right now we are experiencing the dry season. It’s only recently we got electricity but the water pressure is very, very low,” she explained.
Nonetheless, to increase their chances, the sisters, all of whom studied Agricultural Science at secondary school will be specialising in various fields within the sector. Very soon, Jovita said she will be studying Herbology while her younger sister has an interest in Agricultural Mechanics. The eldest sister, Janel is expected to commence studies at the Guyana School of Agriculture soon.
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