Farmers in Portland Benefit from $500,000 in Tools and Supplies

Hurricane affected farmers in Portland have benefited from $500,000 worth of farm tools and supplies from the Council of Voluntary Social Services and United Way of Jamaica to resuscitate their farms.
The donation, which includes cabbage seeds, sweet pepper seeds, fertilizer, mist blowers, power saws and spray pans, are being distributed by the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS).
JAS Parish Coordinator for Portland, Thelma Williams, told JIS News that the donation followed surveys conducted to determine the extent of the loss in the parish and the farmers with the greatest needs.
She said that the distribution of items had started, but the mist blower, power saw and spray pans have been placed in a tool pool to be made available to the farmers when needed.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the hurricane, the government, through the Office of National Reconstruction and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) provided vouchers to farmers to acquire tools and supplies to enable them to return to normal production.
In addition, Miss Williams informed that the JAS was able to acquire seven gas stoves with cylinders from Shell Company West Indies Limited, with four already distributed to farmers.
She said that the Society was also in the process of distributing a number of spades, machetes, files, hoes, pick axes and sticks to farmers under the Rural Economic Agricultural Programme, jointly administered by the JAS and Food for the Poor.
Miss Williams informed further, that Food for the Poor was in the process of providing food items to a number of needy farmers in several communities of Western Portland and the Rio Grande Valley area.
She thanked the various organisations for the assistance they have extended to the farmers of Portland.