Ministry of Agriculture targets less-affected parishes in short-term hurricane recovery plan
/ Our Today
administrator
As the Ministry of Agriculture gets ready to begin the post-hurricane recovery, portfolio minister Floyd Green says that a part of the short-term strategy is to focus on parishes that were not extensively affected by the category-five storm.
Speaking at a farmers’ meeting in Guys Hill, St. Catherine, on November 20, he said that the Ministry is targeting 1,000 hectares of land for vegetable and fruit production in St. Catherine, Portland, St. Thomas, Clarendon, sections of South Manchester, and North St. Ann.
Green also announced that the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) already has J$40 million worth of seeds, with plans to procure additional seeds valued at J$50 million for distribution across the country.
The meeting followed visits to several farms in Bonnet District in the parish, where the minister viewed the extent of the hurricane damage.
He noted that in St. Catherine North Eastern, more than 49 hectares of land suffered damage, affecting 1,100 farmers.
“We’re going to be providing some of [the seeds] here today, because I know some of you are our vegetable farmers and we need to ramp back up our vegetable lines as quickly as possible,” Green told the scores of farmers who gathered in the Guys Hill Town Hall.
He added that the hurricane recovery plan will also extend to free land preparation for six months to farmers who use the RADA tractor service.
“In areas where you have a private tractor operator who is willing to work with RADA, what we will do is bring that private operator on board. We will pay for the service and provide that service to you free over the next six months. So, if you know people like that, have them reach out to RADA,” Minister Green encouraged.
He noted that for hilly terrain, approximately seven walk-behind small, motorised tractors will be provided by next week, adding that one has been earmarked for St. Catherine North East, which covers Guys Hill.
Minister Green highlighted the pressing need to ramp up production in the agricultural sector, noting that the World Bank has estimated the total loss of the sector at J$60 billion.
He maintained that Jamaican farmers are resilient and will bounce back from the islandwide hurricane damage.
“Farmers, we have been through a lot. The last two years have probably been some of the most difficult two years for our farmers, because every time we start to see a recovery, something else happens. But the beauty with us is that nothing holds us back. Nothing stops us… . So, now is the time for us to expand. Now is the time for us to work together to drive the recovery,” Green said.
To start the recovery process in Guys Hill, the ministry, through RADA, handed out 100 50-pound bags of irish potato seeds, 100 50-kilogram bags of fertiliser. as well as vegetable seeds.
The minister also announced that RADA is working with Bodles Agricultural Research Station to provide 500,000 sweet potato slips, in addition to pumpkin seeds, cowpeas, MD2 pineapples and Scotch bonnet pepper seeds and seedlings free of cost to interested farmers.
“We will not allow Jamaican people to die of hunger. We are going to play our part, so we will give you the support, and farmers do what you do best – go out and farm again,” Minister Green urged.
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