Agriculture Ministry to Provide Vital Support for Onion Farmers in St. Thomas Western

Onion farmers in Abbey, St. Thomas Western, who encounter challenges accessing their properties when the river flowing through the community is in spate will receive welcome assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, disclosed during a recent tour of onion farms in the constituency that the intervention is intended to give the farmers greater access to their holdings.

“Having come into this area (Abbey), I am going to send our Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) engineering team to see how we can work with the farmers to ensure they have access, even when the river is in spate,” he said.

Mr. Green, who, along with other stakeholders, drove through the river, which had a low flow that day, expressed concern that the journey could become problematic under different conditions.

“Clearly, they have an access challenge. It is okay when the river is not doing so badly. But they need at least a bridge so that they can come into this area and tend to their crops. So, we’re going to ask the RADA team to look at it, and once we have the engineering designs we will see how we take that from the farm road programme,” the Minister said.

He commended the farmers for contributing to the impressive onion production out-turns, so far, this season, with 202 hectares planted from a target of 400 hectares.

Consequently, the Minister projected that 2025 will be “the biggest production year” for onions.

Highlighting the need for additional support for the farmers, Mr. Green advised that the Ministry will be purchasing sprayer drones to boost their efficiency.

This, he said, will “ensure that we can use the technology to be more efficient, more productive and, ultimately, so that the farmers can make more money”.

“This is what agriculture is about. It’s about making wealth, taking care of their families and leading our food security drive,” Mr. Green added.