Adrian Frater, News Editor

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for South West St. Elizabeth, Dr. Christopher Tufton (centre), gazes at a throng of supporters, as he is escorted in this 1971 Mini Moke by his campaign manager, Oliver Nembhard, to the Black River Resident Magistrate's Court where he was nominated. - Photo by Noel Thompson

WESTERN BUREAU:

Should he get the nod to be the Member of Parliament for North West St. Elizabeth on the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) ticket, Dr. Christopher Tufton plans to unleash an ambitious development agenda on his constituents.

The 38-year-old Dr. Tufton has developed a triple-prong development plan around farming, fishing and tourism. "We plan to create a buzz of activities aimed at creating massive employment," he declared. "We recognise that all the areas have special challenges but I believe that if they are handled properly, they can all lead to significant employment opportunities, especially for our young people."

Dr. Tufton, who has spent the last two years knocking on every door in his constituency seeking to sell his vision, said improved water supply, better farming techniques, improved marketing opportunities, linkages between fishing, farming and tourism are central to the realisation of his vision.

Tie agriculture to tourism

Tufton

"We plan to tie agriculture to tourism so that we can have things such as European-style farm tours and more Jamaican food in our hotels," he said. "With new technology, better roads and water, our farmers should be able to produce greater yields."

Dr. Tufton also believes the strategies for farming could be applied to fishing, which he thinks has tremendous employment/tourism potential, especially if the seven fishing villages in the constituency are upgraded.

"The linkages between tourism and fishing could come through improving the quality of our fishing beaches so that we could have at least one where visitors could come and get a taste of the culture of the people and the area on a weekly basis," he noted.

In specific terms, Dr. Tufton said his plan for farming would entail new irrigation projects, low-cost financing, better marketing opportunities and tourist industry access. For fishing, the plan is for improved fishing techniques, technical training, the introduction of new safety measures and the introduction of measures to preserve the fish stock.

In unveiling the specifics in his plans to expand farming, Dr. Tufton said a much- improved water supply scheme would be critical and as a consequence, he has developed a plan to deal with the parish's water woes.

Out-dated infrastructure

"St. Elizabeth has three times the amount of water needed for residential and commercial use but part of the problem is that the infrastructure is outdated," he said. "We are hoping to create a greater St. Elizabeth water supply scheme to serve the entire parish. However, in the interim, we will put resources in place to have more water trucks and restore the many inoperable tanks across the parish."

With regard to his tourism plan, Dr. Tufton said a five-to-10-year development plan to transform Black River into a heritage and craft town will be the centrepiece. He intends to rebuild the town's craft industry, develop its historic sites, create new beaches, expand river tours and upgrade underdeveloped attractions.

"St. Elizabeth used to be famous for straw craft and I want to bring that back," said Dr. Tufton, who is eyeing a possible partnership with China, which is known for its straw-based industry. "We want to recreate a town that reflects a 19th century look - similar to what has been done in places like New Orleans."

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com