Jamaica: Government backbencher bats for farmers
Walford, a government backbencher, said those communities identified should be given special farming allocation and be the beneficiaries of farming materials and equipment, along with technical assistance.
"Simply put, constituencies that are established and proven in farming should be getting more opportunities and more allocations than those that have limited farming production," said Walford as he made his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives last Tuesday.
Special allocations
He argued that major towns get 75 per cent of the allocation of monies for drain cleaning, and that transportation for the police is allocated mainly in areas, that have a high crime rate.
"Buses for transportation are mainly put in highly populated areas, so why is it that our major farming areas are not given special allocations so that they too can feel special about what they do and in return the country would benefit from increased production?" questioned Walford.
South West St Ann is a rural constituency where, according to Walford, farming provides employment for approximately 75 per cent of the people.
He told the House that with the assistance of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund and Noranda Bauxite, a major farming project, which includes goat rearing, greenhouses, water harvesting and the leasing of lands to farmers, has been instituted in the constituency. That project is reportedly costing $91 million to implement.
The MP said 20 greenhouses will be constructed in Nine Miles and 20 greenhouses at Watt Town and Tobolski in the constituency.
"Each site will have one pesticide store, one bathroom and one packing shed to satisfy the Food Safety Modernisation Act. Training will be done in business management, greenhouse construction and production that if farmers require more greenhouses they can build it themselves," said Walford.
Source: jamaica-gleaner.com
