Rehabilitated Platfield to Brainerd Farm Road in St. Mary Now Open

The rehabilitated Platfield to Brainerd Farm Road in St. Mary is now officially open, bringing improved access to more than 1,600 farmers and vendors.

The 500-metre stretch, repaired at an estimated cost of just over $14 million, had its ribbon-cutting on May 7 by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green.

Minister Green, in his address, underscored that the rehabilitation of the road is an investment in the farmers, which should lead to a boost in the nation’s food security.

“The only way you can transform agriculture is by addressing some of the fundamental issues that have faced farmers for a long time,” Mr. Green said, indicating that the banana, plantain, coconut, cocoa and livestock farmers in the area have long been complaining about access to their farms.

He noted that the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Farm Road Programme, under which the road was rehabilitated, has been “doing more [roads] and doing [them] better” and that the Platfield to Brainerd Farm Road “will last us for a very long time”.

“When we give you this road, you will produce more and we will be better able to feed ourselves,” the Minister said.

He also pledged to complete the next phase of the road in the current financial year, while informing that between 2023 and 2025, 11 farm roads have been rehabilitated in St. Mary at a cost of $127 million.

“St. Mary is important to us; we appreciate the farmers of St. Mary,” Mr. Green said, arguing that the newly repaired farm roads will bring the farmers improved access to markets and to opportunities.

For his part, Acting Chief Executive Officer of RADA, Garnet Edmondson, said that the entity’s commitment to farm roads lies within its core responsibility to ensure that effective extension services are delivered to farmers.

“There is no way we can deliver this efficient and effective extension service without proper farm roads,” he added.

For his part, Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Fitzroy Wilson, welcomed the improvement in the livelihoods of the farmers, who have long been facing challenges.

“This occasion is not merely the unveiling of a stretch of roadway; it marks the renewal of a community’s legacy and the promise of its future,” the Mayor said.

“This area has a rich history as one of our most productive cocoa bean farming regions. For generations, families here tilled the soil, harvested the land and contributed significantly to our local economy and culture. However, like many rural communities we have seen shifts, especially with rural to urban migration, caused in part by infrastructure challenges and lack of access,” he added.

Mayor Wilson said that with the rehabilitation of the “vital” farm road, “we are taking a strong step forward in reversing that trend”.

“Improved access means smoother travel. It means farmers can get their goods to market more efficiently. It means young people can return home to build lives, and it means Brainerd and Platfield can thrive once again as centres of agricultural activity,” he noted.