Tenesha Thomas, Gleaner Writer

Roger Clarke removes weed from a cane field on his 1,000-acre farm in Balaclava, St. Elizabeth.

Clad in boots, cutlass and fork in hand, the sophisticated farmer roved through acres of land with his huge Landcruiser jeep, mounting over boulders and rocks in unexpected potholes.

He heartily greets his farm manager, supervisors and workers as he drives through the many fields. Seemingly cheerful but obviously caught off guard, they reciprocate. But the expression on their faces appear to ask what he was doing there this early.

Not too long after Clarke's face becomes distorted by contours when he demands a deadline for some unfinished chores. Without hesitation he leaps from his jeep and pulls out a few unwanted weeds before picking some cherries for distribution.

This is how Land and Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke spends most of his days when he is not attending to the business of Government.

Born in the quiet farming community of Glenislay in Williamsfield, Westmoreland, Clarke's parents lived on a farm with eight other siblings - two brothers and six sisters. Not surprisingly, his chores oftentimes included helping on the farm. "I had to tie out the goat, boil hag feeding and climb tree," he remarked as he stared in the distance.

According to him, back in the '60s job opportunities were limited in his community.

Ideal place

"After high school, those days West Indies Sugar Company was the ideal place to work and bank and bauxite companies were the next best," he notes.

With only about two banks in Westmoreland at the time, he luckily secured a job at the West Indies Sugar Company. Hence, the beginning of his sojourn.

Thirty years later, Clarke owns approximately 1,000 acres of land in the adjoining communities of Lilliput and Lookout in Balaclava, St. Elizabeth. And, he will boastfully tell you that he is the largest supplier of sugar cane to Appleton Estate, one of two privately-owned sugar estates in Jamaica.

His hundreds of acres of lands are also beautifully decorated with miles of orange trees, timber, pimento, ackee, coconut, soursop, sweetsop, naseberry, lychee and several heads of inquisitive goats.

During crop time, Clarke says he employs nearly 70 workers. However, when it's out of crop season, about 15 are kept to man the fields.

So with 60 workers, two supervisors and two farm managers, Clarke was quick to point out that this was his way of balancing his hectic political career and family life.

"I know how to organise myself, my farm operations is fully computerised, he said, "My wife Sonia is intimately involved, we plan a week ahead and we do an overall budget for the year," he continues.

He admits, however, that farm manager Richard Powell bears most of the responsibilities, as he must ensure that the farm runs smoothly. But as Powell puts it, the tedious task is made easy with the personality of his boss.

"It's one of the best things working with him. I see him as one of the most genuine persons, he doesn't make a lot worry him," he said with a chuckle. Reminiscing he said: "Sometimes we might mess up and we talk to him and everything is fine," says Powell.

Best boss ever

"Who Mr. Clarke is a nice, nice man, he's the best boss ever," said another worker who was obviously eavesdropping on the conversation.

And Clarke himself is pleased with the relationship they share. "I have an excellent relationship with the workers but I get miserable if they don't do the work," he stressed.

At present, he is constructing a tissue culture plant for further expansion. The tissue culture plant will allow for the rapid reproduction of genetically- identical plants using relatively- small amounts of space, supplies and time.

"I have plans to include the community even more, I will be employing students from the nearby Elim Agriculture School to wok in the plant," he reveals about his plans. According to him, involving the youths in agriculture is vital for sustaining the country's development. He believes there are numerous opportunities for young persons in the field.

"Contrary to other beliefs, there are several facets in agriculture that can be explored," he noted. "I didn't start big, I started small, I started sugar in the '70s with about eight acres and then I grow," he emphasised.

When asked about his expectations for the country's agricultural sector in the next 10 to 15 years, he replied, "I would like to see it reaching a stage where we are in a position to be competitive in whatever we choose to produce."

He is married to Sonia and has two children.