Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 02, 2014 News
By Zena Henry
Several farmers are seeking the intervention of market authorities as they claim to be
losing money since their usual sale spot next to the Stabroek Market is being taken over by retailers. The farmers who recently visited Kaieteur News explained that they are losing thousands of dollars in spoiled and unsold goods, while they are being bullied out of the space which, between certain hours of the day, is designated for them to conduct business.
Of the almost 15 persons who visited this publication, Elizabeth Nelson of La Harmony, in the Demerara River, explained that persons like herself are most affected by the situation since she not only sells her goods, but she also grows her produce. Nandranie Agard said that her children plant the crops and she would usually sell on a daily basis at the market.
However, some of the farmers, like Nelson, come to the city twice weekly to sell the goods they grow.
“I can’t come every day, because I have to farm,” Nelson said. She explained however that it is difficult to plant the food and when she comes to town, there is no space for her to sell her goods. Agard explained that the same day she visited Kaieteur News she had to dump over $12,000 in bananas, because she was unable to get it sold two days in a row.
Nelson said she too is losing money because of the ‘invasion” of retailers. The farmers say they are being harassed and threatened by those persons who are illegally occupying the spots. Nelson explained that she has been a farmer almost all her life and has been selling her goods at the market for 35 years. A named wholesaler, she said, has been at the market for six years and started her operation by buying goods wholesale and then reselling it retail.
Each farmer, she explained, is given two pallet spaces to conduct their business and everyone pays a fee for the space they occupy. If the farmer has more goods to sell than can fit on the pallets, then they pay extra depending on, for example, tubs of bananas, bags of eddoes or other produce. While the spaces that are occupied are not designated to any farmer, it is understood that a particular spot would be the regular position of a particular farmer. This is so, she said, because the farmers cannot sell in the market whole day so they quickly occupy their usual spot and conduct their business.
Nelson went on to say that farmers begin to offload their goods at the side of the road in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market in the wee hours of the morning; by a certain time, when the road begins to get busy, around 7:30 hours, they ought to be off the street with their goods. Again in the evening, as the day slows down, around 17:30 hours, the farmers would again offload their items to start selling.
Nelson claims however that the retailers have no farms to tend to, so they are often laid out on the farmers’ spots before they (farmers) arrive. Additionally, more persons are starting to take over the area designated for farmers, as they are now buying items wholesale and are retailing where the farmers operate. In some cases, the retailers are renting spots to other persons, the farmers complained.
One named retailer, they said, took over several spots that were previously occupied by farmers and is now renting it out. Two other spots that were being used by farmers were also taken over and given to that retailer’s family members, who are not farmers, but conduct retail business.
The farmers are peeved however, since despite numerous complaints to the City Council’s market authority which is located a stone’s throw from where the confusion is ongoing, there has been no redress. They claimed however that the market authorities seem to be turning a blind eye to the matter since, “dem does go and get their stocks” from the retailer.
Nelson alleged that since the retailer took over her spot, she was held at knifepoint when she placed her goods in front of the retailer’s items. The Constabulary who had intervened in the matter did nothing about it, she said, and this has led to the farmers feeling helpless about the situation.
“I cannot come to sell every day. I have to plant my crops. That is my livelihood. This is what we do to survive and if every time we come to sell our goods we cannot get space, what will happen to us?” Nelson asked.
The farmers said they have made complaints to market authorities over a period of time since the matter is getting worse by the month.
Public Relations Officer of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) Royston King said that the only person authorized for the sale or rental of spots is the Clerk of Markets. The M&CC is the body responsible for the municipal markets. King said that the Council is however unaware of the challenges the farmers are facing and urged that they visit the Council to have the matter addressed.
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