Minister of Agriculture Hon. Israel Bruce says improved road access is crucial to sustainable agriculture in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Minister Bruce made the point during a visit to the Tibaru area in Greiggs, where he was joined by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), and Quantome Inc.
Speaking with the Agency for Public Information (API), Minister Bruce emphasized the importance of reliable road access for farmers and agricultural development.
The Minister stated: "If you look around you would see the contingent that is here in Greiggs, in Tibaru, in Fiddle Wood-that's the mountain that as you come up is Mafford, Fiddle Wood up to Tibaru, and if you go further, you go to Colonaire, and gone onto South Central. The whole idea again is to sustain the notion of getting help for the farmers in this part of the country at this time. All the farmers will be getting help. Yesterday we were in the Vermont Valley and I spoke to one farmer, Ms. Neverson, who told me about the state of the road going up where her lands happen to be, and I told Ms. Neverson, 'Nevo, work with me and I will have it sorted.' So, we are looking at the farmers in the Greiggs mountain; earlier on you spoke to Mrs. Jarvis who is a hardworking farmer in this area also. The whole idea is: 1. accessibility to the lands, to the farms is such that we can reduce mechanical damage as best as possible, reduce the cost for farmers to get in and out of their lands, and therefore improve the effectiveness of farming inside this part of the country."
Meanwhile, Keynnie Moronix-Sutherland, Extension Officer for District 6 North, highlighted the challenges which farmers face in that district.
Mrs. Sutherland highlighted: "There is that major problem. The farmers now have to pay more because you have to pay men to bring the dasheen out from the field to the transportation, and that extra cost on the farmer with less profitability. To come up to the hill is almost a half-hour walk with a load on your head, and you know dasheen is weighty; it's heavy. So, it's only one sack a man can put on his head. One sack of dasheen is an average of 100 lbs or 125 lbs depending on the size. So, imagine walking from Tibaru to the top of Fiddle Wood to access a vehicle to bring out those dasheen; it's very, very difficult for the farmers."
The BNTF has allocated funding for the rehabilitation of the road network in the community and is pursuing additional resources to get the project underway.
SOURCE: National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC Radio)
