PGR Agro Park faced with numerous challenges

Plagued by several deterring factors, members of the Plantain Garden River Agro Park in Golden Grove, St Thomas, are desperate for the intervention of the relevant authorities.

The farmers revealed that financial constraints, intrusive animals, inefficient land preparation services, and praedial larceny are among factors that are testing their will to continue in the field.

Admitting that the threatening factors of the agro park are “too many to list”, member Khani Thompson said. “We need whole heap of help. In terms of land preparation, a lack of reliable tractor service is one that is setting us back. Sometimes we want to move on but can’t because it is unavailable. The Rural Agricultural Development Authority tries with the one they have but it serves from one border of St Thomas in Bull Bay to the other near Portland … impossible! We have to try and hire private tractors and that too is unreliable.”

The farmers revealed that in order to get production going, they are often left with no choice but to misuse a tractor when available, forcing it to perform functions beyond its responsibility.

STORAGE FACILITY NEEDED

There also lies a need for a storage facility on the compound as planters have to take home thousands of pounds of produce to protect against continuous agricultural theft.

Adding to the long list of challenges, farmer Keith Thomas said, “The sand in the river is filling up. Right now the land and the river is at the same level so if we get some more rain now we in trouble.”

Thomas, whose plot borders the Plantain Garden River in Golden Grove, told The Gleaner that though nature threatens his farm, more pressing is the issue of praedial larceny, and cattle damage where rearers release their animals to roam freely, even if on other people’s property.

“This morning there were cows eating the cassava itself, not the leaves. I have never seen this before. They usually stretch and eat the plantains and bananas, but the cassava is new. And it hard to tell who they belong to because nobody owning them,” he said, sharing that the stray animals often destroy his fences and ransack his farm.

It was a fed-up farmer who shared that even having mounted all the hurdles to prepare the land, sow the seeds and nurture the crop, he still has to contend with poor road conditions when transporting the produce to market.

“Sometimes by the time you reach it’s a shame to see the condition of your items … everything is bruised and that is not how you leave the farm with them. The last time I took about 7,000 pounds of pumpkin to Kingston and when I reach, they were rejected … Just because of the bumping they get from the bad roads,” he said, noting he has had to bear the pain of loss many times due to food that has been damaged in transit.

Calling on the Government of Jamaica, Thomas pleaded for assistance in curtailing the seemingly endless challenges being faced by himself and his colleagues.

According to him, “More attention needs to be paid to agriculture. The sector is one of the main resources to grow the economy. In order to meet their goals of reducing the amount of stuff they import to the country, the Government needs to put more effort into farmers.”