Despite what has been said by certain persons, Agriculture Minister Matthew Walter affirmed that the Government will not turn a ‘blind eye’ on agriculture.
Walter said that the Government sees the banana industry as a very important one into which it has injected millions of dollars.
He spoke against persons implying that the Government has not been placing emphasis on the agricultural sector. He said that these assertions will only result in sending negative signals to the wider world.
“Those persons who believe that that this government is going to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to the banana subsector, I want to tell them today that they are making a mistake,” the minister said.
“And the propagation of misinformation in relation to what I have said won’t benefit anyone of us. But it will continue sending very negative signals to the rest of the world that this government is not emphasising on the development of the agriculture subsector which is not true,” he said.
He also mentioned the issue of protest action by farmers.
“It makes no sense for someone to go out there and to incense farmers to protest. Protest action is not a remedy, my friends. Protest action will not resolve any situation. Protest action will aggravates situation and will ultimately lead us to a state that is unbearable,” Walter said.
He reiterated that persons should try “to work in a concerted manner and do not try to propagate misinformation which will utterly contribute to the demise of the banana industry.”
Walter, who at the time was addressing the commissioning of an inland reception and distribution center in Fond Cole this morning, mentioned several investments which his government has made within the agricultural sector.
He highlighted a $5 million input following the passage of Hurricane Dean for the rehabilitation of the sector.
“We have spent a massive amount of money in the sustainability of the banana subsector and this is a fact,” the minister declared.
Alas – what has happened the island which was once dubbed the breadbasket of the Caribbean. Our agriculture is at its lowest point – absolute lowest point ever and there does not seem to be a plan in place to move it out of this rot
We need visionaries to take up this sector and stop the bleeding so it can move forward.
I would rather plant marijuana than bananas.
We are not seeing any action just talk and why should we even think of believing a man in which his entire constituency is striking again him? I think we need to replace this minister of agriculture. The price of fertilizer is going up daily. Young farmers can not access loan funding furthermore land to work
i am not seeing no action just talk .why would the farmers protest if they are geting the help and markets to sell there products stop talking action speaks louder then words you guys just fooling the people of D.A you will pay for that one day soon
i fine minister playing with the sentiments of the farmers in this statement and some time when he makes statements he is threatning. My friend i would like you to give solutions and execution not excuse to the farmers of this country.