Farm roads will not be neglected – Tufton

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has said that farm roads will not be neglected under the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP).

He said quality rural roads not only serve residents, but improve access to farms and markets thereby contributing to rural development and national food security.

“We are not going to neglect the small communities because they have people living there and they provide an important function in feeding thousands of people outside of the community,” he stated.

The Minister was addressing a recent community meeting in Springvale,

St. Elizabeth, where he announced that repairs will be undertaken on the Springvale/White Hall, Craigie, and Hodgesland roads at a cost of more than $36 million.

“We believe that if you have good roads the people can live more comfortably in their communities, children can go to school, people can go to work, and for us as a Government, it is very critical,” he added.

Minister Tufton, who is also Member of Parliament for South West St. Elizabeth, told residents that under JDIP a lot of emphasis will be placed on the quality of road repairs.

“This road work programme is supposed to ensure that when the road is built, it will be around for a long time. We are not into fixing a piece of road and as rain fall wi nuh have nuh road again. We must have quality work done, and everybody who is involved in the construction of the road must insist on the quality,” he stated.

The Springvale/White Hall and Hodgesland roads are being funded under the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Farm Road Improvement Development Programme, while work on the Craigie road is being undertaken as part of the JDIP.

CONTACT: GARFIELD L. ANGUS

JIS REGIONAL OFFICE

MANDEVILLE