Agricultural Production Up in Hanover

Agricultural production in the parish of Hanover is showing a 14 per cent increase for the July to September quarter, when compared with the corresponding period for 2008.
Delivering a report at the monthly meeting of the Hanover Parish Council on Thursday (October 8), Parish Manager for the Hanover Office of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Audley Bailey, said that most crops are in fairly good supply throughout the parish, which has resulted in a reduction in farm gate price.
He credited the increase in production to good weather conditions and assistance being provided by RADA to the farmers.
In the meantime, Mr. Bailey said that another nursery has been established at the RADA parish office in Lucea, with production set to begin in another week.
“We will be doing some hot peppers, tomatoes and sweet pepper seedlings along with other vegetable seedlings,” he informed. He said that due to an increase in production cost, the price of the seedlings will be increased from $7 to between $9 and $10.
The original nursery house, Mr. Bailey said, is still in production, but is being used specifically to supply seedlings for a one year production and productivity programme.
He informed that under the programme, approximately five hectares of hot peppers have been established within the parish out of a projected 12 hectares, and 6.2 hectares of dasheen out of a projected 21 hectares.
The Hanover RADA office has assisted with the establishment of some 30 production and marketing organisations, involving farmers to sell the crops produced under the project.
Mr. Bailey said that strategies are being devised to make these groups as effective as possible.