PNP general secretary bats for south Trelawny farmers

Western Bureau:

Dr Dayton Campbell, general secretary of the opposition People’s National Party (PNP), is calling for the government to provide greater support to local farmers, who, he says, despite their critical role in feeding the nation, are struggling under conditions that are making it difficult for them to survive.

Campbell, who was speaking last Thursday at the unveiling of businessman Paul Patmore as the PNP’s candidate for Trelawny South, said that having toured some of the farms in the constituency, farmers are still trapped in old-style farming that does not offer them the best opportunities to be successful.

“Time come for farmers to get out of farming on half acre of land with machete and pick-axe,” said Campbell, a strong advocate for the modernisation of local farming. “Time come for land to be made available to farmers so that they can go out and produce what we need.”

Campbell also wants to see greater emphasis placed on creating farm roads, which he believes will make it easier for farmers, agents assigned to the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and their customers, to access their farms.

“I saw farmers transporting yam sticks on donkeys because of the lack of access to their farms. Farmers must be provided with farm roads, so they reach their farms,” said Campbell, in noting that a future PNP administration will do what is needed to make life easier for the farmers.

The PNP general secretary, who is the PNP’s candidate for Westmoreland Eastern, which is heavily into farming, took issue with a call made by Prime Minster Andrew Holness made on the eve of Hurricane Beryl, when he urged farmers to reap their matured produce before the arrival of the weather system.

CALLS FOR STORAGE FACILITIES

“As Hurricane Beryl approached, government was encouraging farmers to reap that which could be reaped. How can farmers reap and have nowhere to store,” asked Campbell. “I am calling on the government to make available storage facilities for the farmers in South Trelawny so, in the future, they can have a place to store their produce.”

Campbell is also calling for the strengthening of the Praedial Larceny Act which he said, as it currently exists, is not providing to be a great enough deterrent to thieves targeting the farmers and their produce. He stated further that any benefits derived by the thieves from robbing farmers should go back to the farmers.

“For too long we have allowed the two-foot puss to rob our farmers of their hard labour. We must now take a serious step against praedial larceny. We must ensure that the proceeds of their crime become available to farmers, so they can start their business over, “ said Campbell.

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