FARMERS IN the small, rural community of Brandon Hill,
St. Andrew who experience difficulties transporting their agricultural produce from lands near Ginger River, are optimistic that the construction of a Bailey bridge to link the communities will alleviate their hardships.
Recently the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) gave a commitment to fund the construction of a 24-metre bridge at a cost of $12 million as well as to rehabilitate approximately 1 kilometre of farm access road.
Additionally, land slippages will be cleared and a ford repaired among other things to improve farmers' access to their fields.
The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) branch in St. Andrew, had requested that the JSIF provides funds for the project. The National Works Agency and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) are also partners in the project.
Gangolf Schmidt, Technical Adviser at JSIF said that about 400 farmers would benefit directly from the development programme.
ARABLE FARMLAND
He said that with the clearing of land slippages, the area of arable farmland is expected to increase from 420 acres to 620 acres, while revenues from the sales of agricultural produce could increase by 50 to 70 per cent.
"Right now, the farmers have to transport all the farming goods under very difficult conditions (from their farms) up to the river, and there is no way to cross the river by car or other means of transport, which would allow them to arrive at the Brandon Hill community and the access road with their produce in a very safe way," Mr. Schmidt said.
The project to be completed in four months, is being executed using JSIF's community-based contracting approach, which demands that the community be integrally involved in managing and implementing the project.
But Mr. Schmidt said members of the Brandon Hill community were in negotiations with the JDF for soldiers to assist by way of providing task supervision.
