By the end of the 2017/2018 financial year, several farm roads in the parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth, covering 19.7km and valued at $81m, will be rehabilitated by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF), through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).
This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio, MICAF, Hon J.C. Hutchinson, during a tour of some of the roads along with representatives from RADA on January 24.
“Between now and March 26 of this year, we are looking at fixing 6.7 kilometres of farm roads in St. Elizabeth at a cost of $34m and 12 kilometres in Manchester at a cost of $47m, said Minister Hutchinson.
Minister Hutchinson said that these roads were being repaired in response to the urgent need of the farmers to move their produce from the field to the market. These farm roads, he said, are in some of the most productive areas in these parishes and by rehabilitating the roads it will allow farmers to increase their production and productivity.
“We are committed to fixing the roads because it lessens the cost of transportation to farmers thereby decreasing the cost of production and therefore ensuring a more profitable operation for these farmers,” Minister Hutchinson explained.
These parishes, Minister Hutchinson said, were selected as they are the main producing parishes in the island and are not as susceptible to flooding as compared to most other parishes. He further noted that the repairs would also facilitate farmers’ access to good farm lands where the roads are in a deplorable condition.
Minister Hutchinson further indicated that there are a number of roads in every parish earmarked to be rehabilitated between now and March 26, but the final costing has not been arrived at as yet.
-30-
