By Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer
Worghs
This week, Farmers Weekly presents the sixth in a series of features on managers of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), with St. Ann's Pedro Worghs.
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
PEDRO WORGHS, the acting parish manager of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in St. Ann, is encouraging farmers in the parish to adopt innovative ways to overcome the challenges now confronting the agricultural sector.
He said that over the past five years increased competition from imported agricultural produce had prevented farmers from increasing their output and that new strategies must be employed to make agriculture more viable.
Mr. Worghs, 52, who has been acting as parish manager for only two months now, succeeds Vivian Kildare, who demitted office in March.
Previously, Mr. Worghs served as acting parish manager for Portland, St. Catherine, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. Mary and St. Ann. He was also deputy parish manager for eight years in St. Catherine, Kingston and St. Andrew.
As the acting parish manager for St. Ann, he overseas agricultural development in the parish with emphasis on providing training and relevant agricultural information for farmers.
Mr. Worghs, who has just completed a parish development plan with special focus on crop diversification, said it was important that St. Ann farmers, who mainly cultivate yams and vegetables, diversify their crops to meet present demands.
The development plan is aimed at increasing tree crops; attracting more schools to agriculture; and training more farmers to work in the fields.
"Another goal," Mr. Worghs said, "is to get a good tree crop in the parish, such as avocado or ackee."
Turning to the weakness of his organisation, Mr. Worghs said that given the current financial constraints, RADA has not been able to implement adequate development programmes, but he said the organisation has been collaborating with a number of companies and organisations to assist with establishing projects to benefit farmers.
