WATER WAR

Limited access to water during the current dry spell is at the centre of a dispute between farmers operating at Mount Poyer, St Lucy.

In fact, the situation escalated to a war of words on Thursday when a Barbados TODAY team visited the farming district, which is a part of Government’s FEED (Farmers Empowerment and Enfranchisement Drive) programme.

While some farmers complained about inadequate service from the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) water tank operators, others pointed fingers at fellow farmers accusing them of being “greedy” and abusing the water system.

Ron Matthews, who works three acres of land, said there was a sudden change in how the tanks were being filled.

He explained that the BADMC provided a 1 200 gallon-tank per acre for each farmer and only those were being filled. He said farmers also had totes on their properties as well and the water tank operators had recently stopped filling them.

Matthews has five totes on his property.

Matthews showing the empty totes on his property.

“We were getting all of our tanks filled and recently, after Easter Monday, things have changed and we are only getting one tank filled. It isn’t enough for an acre,” he said. “It has impacted my production severely. My beets, finger squash, everything are in shock. So I would like better communication from the BADMC. No one came to us to tell us our water would be reduced.”

Matthews said he had to bring water in bottles to supplement what he was given.

Another farmer who requested anonymity said farmers at the project were working too hard to fail and suggested that the Government set up a “desalination plant to convert sea water into fresh water and store it at a reservoir for the drought season” for farmers to access.

“We understand Government’s decision to ration water but we as farmers still need adequate water . . . The 1 200 gallons is insufficient especially in these drought conditions,” the farmer said.

However, another group complained that only “certain” farmers were getting water on the project, which comprised about 68 people.

Sheena Griffith said that before the tank system was in place, she brought water in buckets to wet her crops. Doing that, however, was too taxing, she said, and she was grateful when the BADMC implemented the tank system around March last year.

“About two months ago, I was going five and ten days and couldn’t get no water. I would see the truck come every day, go down that side and fill up one set of people all the time. The same people that complaining now would get and nobody else. That used to bring water to my eye and I had to call up [the authorities].

“But people need to understand that everybody has to get water. I know things are hard but it is unfair that one set of people getting water and not the others. Some people are too greedy,” said Griffith.

Another farmer who did not want to be identified said: “I can’t understand why only certain farmers getting water and not the rest. They are misusing the system.”

The farmer added that she had rows of cucumber planted and they were all yellowing because of the dry conditions. She said she applied to the Barbados Water Authority last year and was still awaiting a connection.

Tremaine Crawford also said water scarcity was the prime issue at Mount Poyer, adding that the tank system needed improvement.

“I watched for many months one farmer getting water and other farmers didn’t get. I do not have a problem with him getting water but if all farmers are to get you can’t be greedy. So I think it comes down to the trucks. They have to give a better service and distribute the water evenly. Also we need more trucks to service the area,” said Crawford.

Meanwhile, the Northern Zone Coordinator for the BADMC Nicole Rollins told Barbados TODAY that the tank system was adjusted recently so all farmers could benefit from the free water the government agency supplied. She explained that three trucks served the area and two of them had a capacity of 5 200 gallons while the large truck carried 5 600 gallons of water.

She said numbers were placed on the 1 200 gallon-tanks the BADMC provided so each farmer could get proper access to water.

“I received several complaints from farmers saying the truck only supplies certain people and I have seen it myself. So a new system was put in place. A tote can hold 250 gallons of water and if you have multiple totes on your property plus the BADMC tanks how can I justify one farmer getting water and the others not? Is that fair?” asked Rollins.

The coordinator added that farmers were also subject to water restrictions and had to practice conservation as the free water supplied came from BADMC wells at Fairy Valley, Christ Church.

She said farmers were also advised to grow drought resistant crops such as sweet potato, okras, yams and cassava, certain herbs and peas. sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb ]]>