MEMBER of Parliament (MP) for South East St Elizabeth, Franklyn Witter, says farmers in the constituency should soon benefit from additional markets for their produce just as soon as a new marketing manager at

the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) can meet with all the farming groups to sensitise them on the way forward.

Witter explained that the marketing manager – a position recently created by the ministry of agriculture – will be consulting with various Production Marketing Organisations (PMO) in all communities to sensitise them on the way forward

Marketing officers, he added, will then help to identify more markets for the farmers.

“The problem is that the marketing manager started about six months ago and so he has not been able to attend all the PMO meetings as yet,” Witter told the Observer.

Witter said Jamaica Exotic, a flavour extraction company, will soon receive much needed funding which will allow it to purchase even more produce from the local farmers.

“It is supposed to buy all the fruits but it is not buying as much now because there is a problem with the funding but this should be addressed in another couple of weeks,” Witter said.

Responding to residents’ concerns about a badly dug up road in Round Hill, Witter said the road was dug up by the National Water Commission and was not rehabilitated properly. The problem was said to have been further compounded by heavy rains.

He said since the community borders the South East and South West St Elizabeth constituencies, South East MP Christopher Tufton has prepared an estimate to receive funding to have it repaired.

As for a water system to better assist farmers to provide irrigation to their farms, Witter said he will be introducing an irrigation system shortly.

And regarding claims he is not being seen as often, Witter said that cannot be true since he lives in the constituency and attends regular community meetings.

“There is not a single community I haven’t been to at least five times,” he said.

The first-term MP explained that some six communities have received electricity to the tune of $15 million from his Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

He said over 2,000 farmers have received assistance to boost their production in the form of spray pumps and fertilisers, seedlings, drip irrigation pipes and water tanks.

Over $10 million, he said, was spent in collaboration with the councillors to truck water in every community across the constituency during the dry periods.

He said the long-term solutions to the water problem in the constituency have also been identified and as such a well is now being drilled in New Forrest and Duff House. This, he said, will be complemented with the Essex Valley water scheme for which contracts have been awarded to Baccass Engineering to pump water from Long Hill to the constituency.

Witter said over 1,000 home owners whose homes were damaged during hurricane and who were not identified in the National Survey have received building vouchers.

Over 300 prescriptions have been filled for needy patients while a care facility has been opened at the Junction Medical complex to provide weekly hot meals for street people and others as well as medical treatment, he said.

Witter said he has also provided funeral grants to over 50 needy families across the constituency.

As for education, he said over 500 students received back to school supplies while others were assisted with tuition for tertiary institutions and auxiliary fees for high schools. Schools, he said, were also assisted with repairs, trucking of water, upgrading of playfields.

Witter said he sponsored 15 teachers from various schools in the constituency to participate in the International Literacy Conference held at the Northern Caribbean University.

For sports, the Cheapside community football league was sponsored to the tune of $40,000 and the Frank Witter cricket competition was sponsored at a cost of $500,000.

Sponsorship and sports gears, he said, were also given to several other clubs and teams.

This financial year, Witter said his CDF will focus on completing water projects and providing medical assistance, back to school expenses, sports and welfare.

It will also be spent to repair the Top Queensbury, Top Ridge, Mount Rose, Stanmore, Mount Plymouth, Gratto, Rose Hall roads as well as complete several others.

Electricity will also be extended to Rose Land and basic school at Comma Pen will be constructed, he said.