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06th Feburary 2010
Fond St Jacques Farmers to benefit from road improvement work
By Gabinus Victor

Fond St Jacques farmers in the Derache area are in the process of benefiting from improved access to their farms. This is as a result of the rehabilitation of an approximately 2.5 miles stretch of road in area by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Works.
The road works which entail a concrete pathway cost about $160.000 dollars and provided employment opportunities to several persons in the Fond St Jacques Community.
According to John Victor, Rural liaison Officer attached to the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation the road improvement works should come as a welcome relief to 20 farmers in the area who are mainly involved in the cultivation of vegetables, ground provision, herbs and spices.
“The road was eventually rehabilitated through advocacy work by the Soufriere Regional Foundation and the Bell Vue Farmers’ Co operative after many years of persistent complaints by the farmers,” said Victor.
Victor declared the advocacy work was a collective effort by the Soufriere Regional Foundation and the Bell Vue Farmer’s Co operative to explore ways of assisting the farmers. He said this included several meetings between the two organizations and the farmers’ decision to invite the Minister of Agriculture, Ezekiel Joseph, to meet them.
 
 

Victor said that the farmers met the minister last year to vent their concerns. He said that apart from the poor state of the road, the farmers pointed out several problems to the minister. This included difficulties obtaining loans from the bank to prepare their lands, and purchase vital supplies such as seeds, fertilizer and pesticides, inadequate irrigation facilities’ and inability to obtain a reliable market to sell their produce.
Victor noted the rehabilitation work on the road was a first step in Minister Joseph’s making good on his promise to assist the formers. He said that the minister also promised the farmer that he would meet them again to articulate the Ministry of Agriculture overall plan for the Soufriere area, and how his ministry would address their concerns.
Victor further indicated that the Taiwanese Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture has also indicated an interest to assist the farmers in new areas such as the cultivation of exotic flowers, vegetables and fruits. He said that that the Taiwanese government has also indicated that it would provide the relevant technical assistance and marketing arrangement for the farmers.

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