COVID-19 fear blamed for Portmore farmers’ market fiasco

PORTMORE MAYOR Leon Thomas has blamed hysteria and stigma for the no-show of truckloads of agricultural produce intended for farmers’ markets for the sprawling St Catherine community on Saturday.

There was outrage among residents of Gregory Park and nearby communities on Saturday as they stood waiting for hours on truckers.

Because of the government-imposed lockdown of St Catherine, Thomas said that in line with an agreement brokered with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Jamaica Agricultural Society, he prepared the five locations with water and bathroom facilities for the traders.

“We were waiting on them for the trucks to arrive, and some of the vehicles they promised would come did not turn up, and that’s what caused the chaos,” Thomas told The Gleaner on Saturday evening.

“I received a phone call saying some of the truck men opted out because they are afraid of the virus. What I am hoping is that it is not a case where they really tried to sabotage the people of Portmore,” he added.

Customers fumed at Hamilton Gardens, one of the Sunshine City sites.

“We out here from 6 a.m. because someone call and tell me the farmers’ truck coming this morning. Me hear say it would come 8 a.m., but then we out here until the councillor come and say 9 a.m. and we still out here with whole heap of people, and all now, after 12 p.m., nothing!” a resident, who declined to provide her name, said.

“Me did go back in, and somebody call and tell me say a truck forward, but it was an egg truck, and everybody did a look forward to ground provision because we can’t go town to buy anything.”

Although a car filled with provisions turned up at the Hamilton Gardens football field to assist the residents, some complained that it was not enough.

According to them, there was a limited variety of produce and long queues doomed them to wait, with little hope of getting adequate supplies.

EARLY CROWD

Another disgruntled resident, Evette McKenzie-Blake, shared that when she turned up the field at 7 a.m., there was already a massive crowd.

“A lot of people were here, people were out on the road waiting, it was just a whole lot of people. They stayed until about 11 a.m. They start to disperse when they realise there is no market,” said McKenzie-Blake.

“If they tell us that they were going to send a farmers’ market here for us, we are going to be here for it because, remember, we cannot go to town because where we are, they said we have to stay where we is. Now, we are here and there is nothing, so we are disgruntled.”

Councillor of Gregory Park Joy Brown, who was present at the location, said she is also extremely upset at the no-show of the trucks.

“We had a meeting with the mayor and a representative from RADA, and it was discussed to five locations in Portmore and this is one of the locations. One of the trucks was supposed to be here from 8 a.m., and up until now we haven’t seen the truck,” Brown said.

She was later overheard on the phone disclosing that operators of two trucks that were assigned to Portmore did not turn up because of a fear of contracting COVID-19.

In the meantime, in other areas of Portmore, several farmers and vendors turned out to supply the residents with ground provisions, fruits, vegetables, and other food products.

One farmer, Dave Stewart, who travelled from Trelawny to sell yellow yams in Portmore’s Climate Change Park, said that he chose to come and supply the residents despite his family’s reservations.

“I see it as a responsibility as a farmer to assist in this crisis even though it is also very risky, because this place is the epicentre,” Stewart told The Gleaner.

“We have a duty to the people, but a lot of thought was put into it because our families are still deeply concerned.”

Other vendors shared similar sentiments, confirming that they would come back next week to serve the residents of Portmore.

Up to Sunday night, Jamaica had recorded up 350 coronavirus cases, of the majority of which originated in St Catherine.

danae.hyman@gleanerjm.com