St. Mary Farmers to Benefit from Tractor Service

Agricultural production in St. Mary is expected to be boosted through the acquisition of a New Holland tractor by the St. Mary office of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).
The tractor will be made available to the farmers of the parish to assist in land preparation.
RADA Parish Manager for St. Mary, Victor Edwards, told JIS News that the tractor will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis at a cost 20 per cent below the current market rate.
He said that farmers can apply for the use of the tractor either individually or as a group. He noted that RADA’s preference is for the equipment to be used by groups so that more farmers could benefit from the service.
Mr. Edwards expressed confidence that the equipment will significantly enhance the efforts of the farming community of St. Mary in increasing agricultural production and productivity.
He said that RADA is fully committed to working with the farmers of the parish in pursuit of that goal.
The Ministry of Agriculture, last month, acquired 12 tractors, valued at approximately $30 million, which will be distributed to RADA offices across the island.
The initiative, which comes under the Ministry’s Farm Modernisation Programme, will enable farmers to prepare their land for planting at affordable rates and by so doing boost productivity.