Dear Editor,
During his more than six years as PPP Minister for Housing and Water, January 2009 – May 2015, Mohd. Irfaan Ali was also acquiring/developing a large mixed farm near St Cuthbert’s Amerindian Village, along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. Aerial images show that this farm is in the Intermediate Savannas, with a shallow infertile soil over deep white sands, needing many truckloads of clay-loam soil to be fertile enough to sustain vegetable crops or fodder for livestock (poultry/chickens, goats, sheep, cattle). The images show long sheds for penned livestock and long shade houses for crops. In a video posted on 5 July and presented by the Leader of the Opposition, MP Azruddin Mohamed on his Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, the costs of this impressive infrastructure were alleged to be GYD 2.2 billion. The sources of the cost data were not disclosed in the video.
| Item | Cost (GYD) | Cost (1 USD = GYD 208.5) |
| Private road | 75,000,000 | 359,712 |
| Clearing 150 acres | 300,000,000 | 1,438,849 |
| Electrical infrastructure | 55,000,000 | 263,789 |
| distribution lines | ||
| 2 transformers | ||
| poultry tunnel houses (2) | 340,000,000 | 1,630,695 |
| 80,000 chickens | 80,000,000 | 383,693 |
| cattle house | 40,000,000 | 191,847 |
| cattle (200) | 64,000,000 | 306,954 |
| tractor and trailer | 15,000,000 | 71,942 |
| black belly sheep (200) | 18,000,000 | 86,331 |
| sheep pens | 10,000,000 | 47,962 |
| goat herd | 3,000,000 | 14,388 |
| goat pen | 3,000,000 | 14,388 |
| Black giant pen | 3,000,000 | 14,388 |
| 500 black giant | 1,200,000 | 5,755 |
| duck business | 3,000,000 | 14,388 |
| ducks | 0 | |
| ranch house | 165,000,000 | 791,367 |
| entertainment area | ||
| man-made creek | 60,000,000 | 287,770 |
| tambaqui fish | 0 | |
| tambaqui cages | 0 | |
| earthwork, excavation | 0 | |
| hasa fish investment | 50,000,000 | 239,808 |
| tunnel greenhouses (9) | 150,000,000 | 719,424 |
| shade houses (7) | 35,000,000 | 167,866 |
| plants | 15,000,000 | 71,942 |
| fruit orchards – 40 acres | 250,000,000 | 1,199,041 |
| irrigation system | 30,000,000 | 143,885 |
| plumbing | 45,000,000 | 215,827 |
| heavy machinery | 150,000,000 | 719,424 |
| 100 permanent residences | 60,000,000 | 287,770 |
| fencing | 50,000,000 | 239,808 |
| Total | 2,070,200,000 | 9,929,017 |
The table above does not include the payroll over three years of the personnel who run the President’s ranching complex.
Almost immediately, the now-President Mohd. Irfaan Ali protested (NewsRoom. (2026, July 5). ‘Mohameds trying to blackmail President’ – says President Ali. https://newsroom.gy/2026/07/05/mohameds-trying-to-blackmail-president-says-president-ali/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAS3ZZpwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUJ_aoUErf6ZDcNcQHoPgHV944QnmrGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR56Pt5FoCmEfEyaWtBNaex8_10pQxJd16lofOVI1OoXN89EA9WvkiUDVUJN8w_aem_zYUA_aoHovjZBfDgkwE8_Q )
… that the farm was developed before he became President and that the assets have been disclosed to the Integrity Commission, and all the expenses have been ‘above-board’. Quite properly, the disclosures to the Integrity Commission are not in the public domain, but the President appears to be willing to publish all the costs and farm-related income. So, Mr President, I do so request that you publish the capital and operating costs, as a good example to the Ministers and other MPs whom you have appointed but who are apparently more shy about telling the Guyanese taxpayers about their assets and costs.
It will certainly be interesting for citizens to wonder about the difference between your salary and allowance as Minister for Housing and Water during 77 months of 2009-2015 and the capital costs of the farm alleged by MP Azruddin Mohamed. Cabinet Ministers now have a gross base salary of over GYD 1 million/month and allowances for housing and duty and expenses of about the same amount. For this letter, let us say GYD 2 million/month x 77 months = GYD 154 million. Gosh, Mr President, you must have had an enormous bank loan to close the gap between your Ministerial take-home pay and the cost of your farm. How did you secure and service that loan, given that most Guyanese businesses struggle to obtain much smaller loans? Guyanese look forward to your reply.
Yours truly
Janette Bulkan
Bulkan, J. (2026, July 6). Mr President publish the capital and operating costs of your farm. Kiskadee Watch. https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/letters/mr-president-publish-the-capital-and-operating-costs-of-your-farm/
