Big-money project set for Portland farmers
Published: Wednesday | March 25, 2009
This banana farm, operated by the Portland-based College of Agriculture Science and Education, was adversely affected by Hurricane Gilbert. Factors like hurricanes, disease and world-market prices have forced Portland farmers to explore alternatives to banana. - Contributed
BUFF BAY, PORTLAND:
About 40 farmers in the Buff Bay Valley area of Portland are to benefit from a $35.6-million agro-tourism project, intended to re-energise farming and create sustainable livelihoods for residents of the community and its environs.
Under the project, funded by the ministry of agriculture, Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture, the European Union (EU), and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), farmers will benefit from training, technical assistance, and strengthening of community-based organisations (CBOs), to enable them to produce high-quality products for the travel trade, and to open their farms for eco-tourism excursions.
Groups that fall within the scope of the project include the Charlestown young farmers and bee farmers associations, and the Spring Garden Packaging Station, which together account for some 38 acres of farmland. The multiplier benefit extends to some 200 persons from the area, explained Robert Kerr, project manager.
He told JIS News that the 15-month project, scheduled for completion by year-end, entails organising the farmers into viable associations and strengthening existing CBOs.
Kerr said one of the challenges the project faced was the fragmented nature of the communities because of the rural terrain. However, the ministry plans to hurdle the issue by using a corridor management structure. This means a central group with leaders from the various areas will have oversight of the existing CBOs and the project.
- JIS
