Dear Editor,

This is an open letter to East Rural St Andrew MP Damion Crawford and West Rural St Andrew MP Paul Buchanan regarding repairs to roads in their constituencies.

At a meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Association of Branch Societies/JAS Executive on September 8, 2012, a resolution was passed asking for your intervention into the repairing and maintenance of the rural and farm road network in your constituencies.

Farmers and the Jamaica Agricultural Society are requesting your partnership in the development of a road map that will address the life-threatening conditions of the road network in the parish, and suggest a plan of action that should include cleaning of drains, water tables and the grading and repair of the road network.

The deplorable road conditions are adversely affecting life in the rural communities by increasing operating costs for our farmers; lowering production and productivity levels from the farming communities, as the farmers are unable to access their farms; causing rural to urban drift; preventing investment in rural communities; and result in the high cost of transport.

These are some of the roads that need immediate attention:

East Rural

* Penfield to Sugar Loan main road

* Lower Hall’s Delight to Constitution Hill

* Woodford main road to number 16 Cottage District

* St Peter’s Road to Clydesdale and Mammy Hill

* Guava Ridge to St Peter’s

* Robertsfield to Hall’s Delight, David’s Hill and Westphalia

* Bull Bay to Cane River, Dallas Castle and Bito, Bloxburgh main road

* Cross Pass Road to August Town

* Jack’s Hill main road to Skyline Drive, City View or Gravel Road,

Peter’s Rock Road, Scott’s Level Tower, Scotland Heights Road, Mullberry Road

* Tower Hill main road

* Backers Hill, Penn Hill Road, Mavis Bank Clydesdale, Top Road

* Gordon Town to Mavis Bank

* Mavis Bank to Mt Charles

West Rural

* Boon Hall main road

* Baxter Hill Road to Mt Charles

* Mount Friendship and Lime Edge

* King Weston to Mt Cheerful, Matthew Road

* George Mason Road, Lawrence Tavern

* Blakes Bridge to Mt Prospect and Brandon Hill

* Pleasant Grove, Fern Hill Road

* Mt Horeb to Brandon Hill

* Rock Hall to Above Rocks and Rock Hall to Red Hills

* Mt Airy Road at Mt City square leading back to Mt James.

We are available to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss the concerns of the farmers and the JAS as we partner for a better quality of life for our rural people.

Senator Norman W Grant

President, JAS

67 Church Street, Kingston

adminjas114@gmail.com