Farmers take control of Long Pond lands by month end
WESTERN BUREAU:
FARMERS ALONG the Trelawny-St James belt who have been affected by the closure of the Long Pond Sugar Factory will be taking control of lands surrounding the historic landmark by the end of March.
Allan Rickards, coordinator of the Trelawny Pride initiative, the umbrella organisation for the farmers, says the lands, which extend from Hyde Hall to Georgia, and farther, to Clark’s Town, will be turned over to nearly 90 farmers whose applications are currently being vetted.
“We don’t want to get off to a false start, so we have been through the applications to ensure that all who applied are bona fide farmers and that for the most part, they are registered cane farmers,” Rickards told The Gleaner yesterday.
“We will then be informing them of what the conditionalities are, but what I can tell you for a certainty is that the pistol will be fired by the Ministry (of Agriculture) inside the month of March for the roll-out of the project,” added Rickards.
The All-Island Jamaica Cane Farmers Association (AIJCFA) led the negotiations with the Government to lease more than 3,600 acres of land located in the vicinity of the defunct factory.
Under the Trelawny Pride project, the farmers will have to agree to cultivate the crops recommended by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) on 70 per cent of the property.
A private investor is also on board to grade and package the crops produced according to specific contractual agreements and provide a reliable market. A-grade products will be sold to hotels and the export markets and B grade to the local sector. C grade will be processed into purées and juices.
According to Rickards, the oversight committee, which includes RADA, the AIJCFA, the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), and Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) Holdings, will ensure transparency.
“We are due to have the first meeting of the oversight committee, which, most importantly, will include the National Irrigation Commission because we need to ensure that we will have the water that is necessary and also revitalise any wells that exist as we intend to get started in an organised manner,” stated Rickards.
The Long Pond Factory was acquired by the Hussey family in a 2009 divestment deal with the Government, which cost them J$135.5 million. The acquisition was in the form of a package deal, which included Hampden Estates, which is also located in Trelawny. Two years ago, the family shuttered operations.