Feeding the nation from 15 years old

George Henry, Gleaner Writer

SOUTHFIELD, St Elizabeth:

FORTY-ONE-YEAR-old Byron Duff started farming at age 15 when he left the Epping Forest All-Age School in St Elizabeth. Today, he still enjoys what he does and said most of his achievements are as a result of farming.

"My house, my car, my children's education have all been realised out of the hard work which I have been able to put into farming over these years, and there is much more that I need to achieve, and will be a reality because of farming," Duff told The Gleaner.

His love for farming came out of the effort his parents put into the industry over the years.

Duff explained that he grew up seeing both his parents involved in farming, and the passion they had, and still have, for the crops they planted, inspired him to get involved.

"My parents have been doing farming over these many years, and they are still doing it even up until this day, and I have followed their footsteps," noted Duff with a pleasant smile.

Important career

He confessed that he is obligated to assist in feeding the nation, and pledged to continue farming for as long as God gives him the strength to do so. He made it clear that he sees farming as one of the most important careers in the world today, because if farmers do not produce what the people should consume, then many will die of hunger.

Notwithstanding his love for farming, Duff has had to grapple with several challenges. Chief among them is drought. He lamented that when the dry spell affects St Elizabeth, he, like many farmers, faces huge losses. Duff said he has had to scale down his farming during the drought, which sometimes lasts up to six months, to avoid losing money.

"When the drought is on, we have to purchase water at very high costs from private truckers. This water we have to store in drums and other containers for the replenishing of the crops, and the water is very expensive for us," explained Duff.

The farmer said it costs him up to $12,000 for a load of water, which does not last for long. Duff also disclosed that the cost of inputs, such as fertiliser, has also put a strain on his pocket. To this end, he is urging the Government to do whatever is possible to make subsidies available to farmers.