Western Bureau:

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green will be taking his islandwide tour series, dubbed ‘Virtual Listening Tour,’ to the parish of Hanover this Friday, where he will be engaging farmers, fisherfolk and other stakeholders about his vision for the agricultural sector.

According to a social media post he made, the Green says the Virtual Listening Tour is his first step in seeking to identify a collective vision towards a stronger future as it relates to creating a viable survival platform for farmers and fisherfolk.

Efforts to ascertain if the visit to Hanover will be the first stop did not yield an answer. However, The Gleaner has been reliably informed that stakeholders in Hanover are up to speed with the plans and are looking forward to participating.

With over 7,000 registered farmers in Hanover, plans are being developed to ensure that the message that Green is slated to have will get to the farmers without any need to breach the ongoing COVID-19 protocols.

According to Aston King Jr, the deputy parish manager for the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in Hanover, a select representative group of farmers will participate and then share the information with the other farmers and fisherfolk.

“A select representative group of farmers from within the five RADA extension areas in the parish will be selected to participate in the meeting,” said King. “The farmers’ representatives will be accommodated for the meeting with the agriculture minister in two venues simultaneously, namely, the Anglican Church Hall on Watson Taylor Drive, Lucea, and the conference room at the RADA office, located along the same roadway.

“Due to the COVID restrictions, we have selected some farmers from each extension area, and also other stakeholders, like exporters and purveyors. That session will be in the morning, and in the afternoon he (the agriculture minister) is supposed to be meeting with the fisherfolk,” noted King.

Green will be located in the Lucea Church Hall and will be connected by a virtual link to the persons at the RADA conference room.

Checks with some farmers have revealed that issues which will be top of the discussion list will include the matter of praedial larceny, the availability of lands for farmers, and marketing opportunities.