Golding pledges agricultural focus to drive economic growth
Tamoy Ashman / Our Today
People’s National Party president Mark Golding has promised to make agriculture one of the main factors driving economic development, particularly in rural communities, if elected to govern.
Golding, who spoke at a PNP conference on Sunday in St Elizabeth, noted that the parish is known for its agricultural produce that feeds all of Jamaica. However, farmers in the area are facing production issues with crops such as watermelon, peanuts, and scallion.
He vowed that under his leadership, the PNP would make agriculture a mainstay of the economy in rural communities.
“We recognise that the economy of this country is not seated properly because we are too dependent on a few industries, which are vulnerable to external shocks and other problems. Agriculture must become a mainstay of the economy. The PNP believes in rural development, and agriculture is the main stake of the economy for rural development,” he said.
Golding stressed the importance of irrigation systems and farm roads in rural communities. He also called for more assistance to be provided to farmers to boost output.
“We need a positive policy, a progressive policy that will take agriculture back and, in fact, take it to the next level. That is what we’re committed to,” he stressed.
The Ministry of Agriculture has offered assistance to farmers, in the form of irrigation kits, tanks, and other supplies, particularly to farmers who faced challenges due to the recent drought conditions. A farm road rehabilitation programme was also instituted to fix farm roads across Jamaica.
However, Golding believes that more needs to be done to drive the sector forward.
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