6,000 farmers to benefit from $18-m initiative
MORE than 6,000 farmers in Trelawny are to benefit
from initiatives and projects valued at over $18 million, courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton made the announcement during a tour of the parish last Wednesday.
He said the improvements would include the refurbishing of the Wait-A-Bit multi-purpose building, as part of Government’s initiatives to enhance the marketing of yam and other agricultural produce in the parish.
The building, which has been closed for more than 20 years, would be leased to private sector interests, including farmers, and would operate as a central buying station for the surrounding communities.
“We are upgrading the plant and providing the technical support, but the Government will not manage the day-to-day operations,” Tufton said.
He said the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) would disburse $4 million to assist 60 farmers to restore the sweet and negro varieties of yams in the parish. The tubers have been severely affected by Anthracnose disease and Nematodes during the
past three years. The funds would be provided by the
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Tufton also noted that as part of his ministry’s programme of fostering partnership among farmers and promoting co-operative farming, the Producers Marketing and Organisations (PMO) were being revived across the island. PMO members in Trelawny are to receive $2.3 million to assist with the purchase of fertiliser and seeds. RADA would allocate the resources and monitor the input supplies.
The minister said that some $250,000 had been allocated
to provide institutional support and direct subsidy to the farmers.
In response to the increasing demand for peppers, Tufton said the Agricultural Support Services Project (ASSP) would be establishing a “pepper nursery” in the parish, at a cost of $800,000. The nursery would have the capacity to produce seedlings for as much as 50 acres of land.
However, he explained that, while the ASSP would provide capital to establish the plant, the operations would be managed by the farmers.
He said that the ministry had identified several buyers willing to enter into long-term contracts with interested farmers, while RADA and the ASSP would continue to provide technical support.
