Banana blues in St Mary

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I write on behalf of the farmers of western St Mary, particularly those in Windsor Castle, Carron Hall, Bell Hill, Pembroke Hall and surrounding areas, regarding their inability to market their FHIA variety banana that they were encouraged to plant.

This variety is mainly used for making banana chips. Very little, if any, is used for local consumption in its natural state.

Things went well for a while, until the only factory that was purchasing this item from the farmers for making banana chips was forced to close. Since then, it has been utter frustration, to the extent where some of the farmers have already begun destroying their plants, replacing them with other crops. Needless to say, they have already invested very large sums of money into this project, exacerbated by the high cost of labour and fertiliser.

I am therefore making an appeal, on behalf of these desperate farmers, for whatever intervention and assistance that is necessary to alleviate their predicament.

SAMUEL STERLING

Leesburg, Georgia