Yam farmers blame ministry for glut
Published:Saturday | May 14, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Ruddy Mathison, Gleaner Writer
WAIT-A-BIT, Trelawny:
YAM FARMERS in Southern Trelawny say the failure of the Ministry of Agriculture to make good on its promise to restart operations at the yam house in Wait-A-Bit is severely restricting their ability to market the surplus yam they now have.
The farmers told The Gleaner that Minister of Agriculture Dr Christopher Tufton assured them on a tour of the factory in mid-February that he had given the green light for the operators of the yam house to begin operations, after the factory was closed for more than a year.
The farmers say that they heeded an appeal from the ministry to expand domestic food production, and are now experiencing a surplus of yams, and other produce that they are unable to sell. They say they have to rely on local buyers who are offering them extremely low prices.
Wait-A-Bit yam farmers, Winston Rowe, Harris Rowe and Seymour Ranking, disclosed that because of the increase yield, and not enough market, they are unable to reap all the yam and other crops they produced.
"We have to keep back yam in the ground; we are losing hundreds of pounds. If the yam house was working, things would be better," said Winston Rowe.
The Wait-A-Bit Yam House was constructed at a cost of $16 million to deal with the processing and storing of yam, produced by Southern Trelawny farmers for export purposes.
About three months into its operation, the factory was closed because of what the operators say were processing and structural challenges being experienced by them.
Tufton announced earlier this year that the Government had brought in engineering experts at a cost of $2 million to address the problem. Despite the minister's assurance, the facility still remain closed.
CAPTION: From left: Wayne Morris of Sure Jamaica Exports Limited, Donovan Stanberry, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; Minister of Agriculture Dr Christopher Tufton, Jamaica Labour Party Councillor Steven Warren and Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, member of parliament for South Trelawny, cut the ribbon to officially open the Wait-A-Bit Yam House in Trelawny last year. - Photo by Sheena Gayle