PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Bobby Pottinger told Portland farmers that the organisation plans to establish a wholesale market of sorts for farm produce in the parish.

“We want to develop some sort of a market in Portland — a wholesale market — that instead of the people going to Kingston they can be on the compound,” Pottinger told a recent annual general meeting.

Pottinger did not give details of the proposed market’s operational structure. However, he was clear that the JAS would be purchasing property to set up the business.

“We are going to own where the farm store is and it is going to work,” he told the large audience of farmers.

According to Pottinger, the market will be located at the present parish office. He said negotiations are underway with the lands department to purchase the building and that talks are expected to be completed by July this year.

In addition to the wholesale market, the building will also be equipped with conference rooms.

On the matter of exports, Pottinger told the farmers that the JAS was going to be working more closely with the College of Agriculture, Science and Education. This collaboration, he said, will see both organisations working with three banana boxing plants to properly package dasheen, breadfruit and other farm produce for export.

The exporter, Pottinger added, can then go to these venues and purchase these products ready for export.

He expressed the hope that the Boundbrook wharf will be utilised more in exporting other farm produce apart from banana.

In his address, in which he touched on a number of issues, Pottinger told the farmers that the JAS board was in discussion to acquire the defunct rice mill in Montego Bay and that the organisation will launch its own development fund to assist with farmers’ pension. He also said that cocoa farmers will benefit from a $23-million fund to resuscitate their farms.

Portland field officer, Thelma Williams, who also addressed the meeting, commended the Methodist church for their $300,000 assistance to farmers in the flood ravished areas of Swift River, Chelsea, Fruitful Vale and Broomfield.

The donation, she said, has benefited approximately 100 farm families in chicken rearing. She also said that there are 55 paid up branch societies in the parish.