Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Lloyd Reevers, a farmer in Inverness, St. Ann, prepares to plant
carrots and sweet potatoes recently.
George Henry, Gleaner Writer
MALVERN, St. Elizabeth:
Omar Brooks, though only 24 years old, has been in crop production since he was 10. For him farming comes natural, because he grew up among relatives who have been in the business long before he was born.
Mr. Brooks told Farmers Weekly that his parents taught him the rudiments of planting, especially peanuts, which he used to produce in large quantities on a 20-acre property at Northampton in St. Elizabeth.
"I born come see them in farming and I liked what they were doing so I decided from an early age that I also wanted to do some farming, so that was how I got into it and I love it, because it has allowed me to earn an honest living," said Brooks.
His love for farming has also inspired him to grow other crops such as melon, corn and cassava. However, he confessed that growing peanuts is his first love.
"I used to plant plenty peanuts here (referring to the property), but dry weather mash up the crop and cow is now on the land, so I cannot plant that amount of the crop anymore. I hope that one of these days I will be able to get back near to the days when I use to plant nuff," said Mr. Brooks.
Despite his love and enthusiasm for farming, he admitted that it has not been 'a bed of roses'. He pointed out that because the area did not get regular rainfall, farmers, including him, incur huge losses as a result of losing crops to the drought. Mr. Brooks is seeking assistance from the authorities in having an irrigation system implemented in the Northampton community to off-set the effects of the drought.
He is also seeking the assistance of the Ministry of Agriculture or the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in procuring additional lands for cultivation. He is also encouraging owners of large properties to lease portions to young persons for farming.
Like many other farmers, Mr. Brooks who is also a part-time mason, said he sometimes has difficulty in finding markets for his crops.
However, the young farmer has refused to despair and remains resolute in saving enough money from his cultivating to build his own house.
