Farming equipment valued at just over $580,000 has been handed over to 25 farmers from the Sanguinetti community in north Clarendon, who have formed a co-operative called the 'Sanguinetti Action Group.'

The equipment was presented on Monday, September 4, by missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in collaboration with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), at a ceremony held at the Spaldings United Church.

Acting Deputy Parish Manager at RADA, Pauline Smith-Stone, said the organisation would ensure that farmers made maximum use of the equipment.

Tools and equipment

"We want to see that the farmers utilise the tools and the equipment and whatever they get, to the best of their ability, in order to maximise their production. We also have a role in assisting them to find markets for their produce and in order to do so, we're going to ensure that they don't overproduce, so we're going to monitor their production process," she said.

Items handed over included, forks, machetes, hoes, rakes, a brush cutter, a mist blower, knapsack sprayers, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, seed trays, chickens, chicken feed, goats, and vegetable seeds, namely tomato, string bean, sweet pepper, cabbage, cucumber, callaloo, okra, lettuce, turnip, carrot and corn.

Elder Dean Hadlock from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, explained that he read about the farmers in Sanguinetti and how they were affected by the last few hurricanes, so he made contact with RADA.