WALDERSTON, Manchester:JUST 10 weeks after Hurricane Ivan ravaged the island, farmers in south Manchester and south St. Elizabeth are resuscitating their farms and they are assuring that there will be adequate locally produced fresh vegetables in time for Christmas.
"We had to start from scratch after Charley and Ivan and the drought is now affecting us, but by Christmas things will be much better," said Linton Dixon, a farmer from Top Hill in St. Elizabeth.
He was speaking with Farmers Weekly on Wednesday during an Agro-Grace-sponsored tour of several farms in Manchester and St. Elizabeth by representatives of the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR), the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).
Mr. Dixon, who has been farming for more than 30 years, was on his nine-acre farm. At present, he is cultivating a new type of hybrid carrot on eight acres, while tomatoes are being produced on the remaining one acre.
RESILIENCE
Meanwhile, Donald Elliott of Southfield typified the resilience of the region's farmers after total devastation.
Standing on his two-acre farm intercropped with sweet pepper, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber and watermelon, he said, "Fresh vegetables will definitely be available for Christmas at a reduced rate and I am calling on housewives to buy with their heads and not with their eyes."
He continued, "Imports look more presentable but our produce is fresher, better and cheaper." According to Mr. Elliott, it is projected that carrots will be available for as low as $25 per pound.
Earlier, the touring party had visited the three-acre farm of Tony Wright, in Cross Keys, Manchester. Mr. Wright is currently producing hot pepper, tomato, watermelon, cabbage and corn, but he said as an agent for a processing plant, his focus was on producing hot pepper.
The touring party retreated to Lover's Leap for lunch, after which there were addressed by Trevor Martin, regional director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Neville Condappa, agricultural specialist adviser to the ONR, and Garnett Malcolm, general manager of Agro-Grace.
The officials all praised the farmers for their resilience despite the repeated challenges affecting the agricultural
sector.
