George Henry, Gleaner Writer
Trevor Littleton tends to a plot of Irish potatoes on his farm, in Munro, St. Elizabeth. - PHOTO BY GEORGE HENRY
TREVOR LITTLETON has been involved in agriculture for more than 40 years and still cannot resist the temptation to continue tilling the soil despite the challenges he faces with water shortage, natural disasters, diseases and pests.
Vegetables such as tomato, cabbage, carrot and cucumber are among the many crops he grows on more than six acres of land that comprises his farm in Munro and Malvern in St. Elizabeth.
Like most small farmers, Mr. Littleton has lost thousands of dollars. He said it was time for the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and other related agencies become equipped to lend more assistance to his colleagues.
Farming, according to Mr. Littleton, is more difficult today than when he started 40 years ago. He noted that the price of inputs and labour costs have not made agriculture easy, especially for the small farmer.
"Small farmers in rural Jamaica are hard hit by many elements and we continue to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars and nobody ever come to our assistance," he charged. The concerned farmer continued: "If we the farmers do not plant crops to feed the nation, many would die for hunger, so I think that whenever we are affected by especially natural disasters like drought and hurricane we should get swift help from the government."
The 64-year-old farmer pointed to an Irish potato field that was on the verge of being destroyed by what he referred to as "frost". The potato plants, which were planted two months ago, have withered and the growth of the tubers stunted.
All that would be difficult to be recovered by the farmer, who made it clear that despite his misfortunes, he would continue to provide food for the citizens of St. Elizabeth and other sections of the Island. He said if something were not done soon to help small farmers, he and his colleagues, as well as his children who are also involved in agriculture, may soon be forced out of business. He is hoping that the hurricane season will not be as devastating as last year.
