Help For Farmers Affected By Drought

With drought taking a severe toll on residents and farmers across the island, the Government will be making $100 million available to the nation’s Municipalities to tackle the problem.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said the Government will also be providing Councillors with 500-gallon black water tanks to immediately deal with some of the most affected areas in their respective divisions.

“The question of water continues to be a major concern. We are now seeing where a number of parishes have been experiencing severe drought conditions, and where assistance is needed,” Mr. McKenzie said, as he addressed members of both the St. Elizabeth and Hanover Municipalities, recently.

“It doesn’t help either that the forecast for this period is that the country is going to experience even further drought conditions,” he noted.

Mr. McKenzie, on Thursday (February 13), presented 10 of the water tanks to each of the 15 Councillors in St. Elizabeth, following a special meeting at the Municipal Corporation.

He said that while the drought conditions have affected some parishes more than others, St. Elizabeth, being the self-styled “breadbasket” of the country, was the first recipient to receive both the tanks and their portion of the $100 million.

“The conditions are not the same in all the parishes and so it is important that we first identify and deal with the ones that are mostly affected,” the Minister said.

Mr. McKenzie said he is aware that there are communities so badly affected that persons will be more than happy with the 500-gallon water tanks.

In the meantime, farmers in several parishes that have been affected by the drought conditions are welcoming Mr. McKenzie’s comments.

“This is really music to our ears,” said farmer, Patricia Anderson, operator of 15 acres of land at the Holland Estate in St. Elizabeth.

“I have been having some serious water issues and have not been able to do exactly what I would love to do, so this is welcome news that there are plans to assist,” she said.

Farmer from St. Margaret’s Bay, Portland, Renford Davis, said the drought has been wreaking havoc on his land and welcomes any assistance that will “give me a fighting chance”.

“Minister McKenzie was in Portland recently and got wind of our plight and the challenges we face as residents and farmers. I am very happy to hear that, at the very least, they will try to assist us to deal with this problem,” he said.