George Henry, Gleaner Writer
Calbert Sinclair moulding a yam hill, on his farm in Sanguinetti, Clarendon. - GEORGE HENRY PHOTO
SPALDING, Clarendon:
Another hurricane season has approached and some farmers in Sanguinetti, Clarendon are still awaiting assistance from the Government to rehabilitate their farms which were damaged by Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Emily.
The farmers complained that despite registering the damage suffered at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) office in Clarendon, as well as with their political representatives, no response has come.
PRODUCE LOST
Leonard Cohen who cultivates banana, plantain, coffee, yam and citrus lamented that he lost most of his crops during the passage of Hurricanes Dennis and Emily last year, just when he had begun to recover from Hurricane Ivan the year before. He said he was convinced that the agricultural agencies were not concerned about small farmers.
Calbert Sinclair, another farmer, said he was distressed that after losing almost everything and reporting the damage, he has received no form of assistance to resume production.
He, like Mr. Cohen, said he suffered thousands of dollars in losses and would still like to get assistance either from Government or the private sector to continue his farm.
Isaac Cohen, who had a similar complaint, declared that he had given up on RADA and the Government. He lost all five acres of yellow yams, plantain and other crops to the fierce winds and flood.
HELP FROM FAMILY
"I have it hard. If it was not for some of my family members who gave me a little money to start over, I would not have anything right now," he told Farmers Weekly. "I want a few bags of fertiliser right now to put on my yams but the price is so expensive and out of my reach," he continued.
But when contacted, RADA parish manager for Clarendon, Percival Shaw said 4,000 vouchers worth between $2,000 and $5,000, received from the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR), were distributed to farmers. However, he said some farmers did not receive assistance as the vouchers were insufficient. Mr. Shaw promised that efforts would be made to get more assistance from the ONR for the farmers.
