Inexperienced farmers plant seed to big dreams in Lionel Town

A group of 35 Clarendon farmers have set out to prove that with enough passion and a willingness to learn, they can plant the seeds of success with a new venture despite their limited knowledge of the agricultural sector.

Michael Francis, who is leading the charge, told The Gleaner that the dream to invest in farming started to blossom in 2017 when he tried to take advantage of lands owned by the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) Holdings Limited in Lionel Town and put them into production.

He twice sought to use his cutlass to clear a section of the land with the intention of planting some crops but was ordered to desist.

He then approached advisers at SCJ Holdings, who told him that he would stand a better chance of being granted permission to cultivate the land if he had an organised group from the community to work with him.

This spawned the Vere Produce Company Ltd, of which Francis is president, and last year, they were successful with the proposal submitted to the SCJ. They have been given roughly 35 acres of land to plant a mixture of short- and long-term crops.

The group, which has taxi operators, an electrician, and other professionals among its ranks, is optimistic about the venture despite not having done any farming before.

Francis said they would be “earning while learning” as the HEART/NSTA Trust is on board to assist them with training to sharpen their craft.

Carl Watson, a member of the group, said it has been a long-held dream to venture into farming despite being an electrician.

“Since I was going to school, I always dreamt of running a farm. I approached several entities in my adult years and met pure roadblocks,” he said, adding that it was a chance encounter with a lady in the community that pointed him to Francis.

Watson told The Gleaner that just like the farm-work programme, where the Government sends Jamaicans to North America to work on farms, he wants locals to respect local agriculture and see the value of investing in their own lands.

“Some of the times, what they farm overseas is imported back to us. Why not invest here?” Watson asked, adding that a country that cannot feed itself is a slave to the food providers.

Although they are committed and their company has been registered, the passionate group would welcome a helping hand to get things off the ground.

Already, they have been assisted to clear about five and a half acres of the land by Clarendon Custos William Shagoury.

“He told us that he will do more, but he must see us utilising what he has already cleared before he assists us further,” Francis told The Gleaner.

On Tuesday, a Good Samaritan also gave them four rolls of barbed wire to help with fencing, but they would welcome additional assistance.

Francis said that the goal is to build a strong organisation, which can help the youth find gainful employment.

“We have a lot of youths right now. They are interested, but what they really want is to start. That’s what they really want,” Vice-President Daevon Pryce said. “The most important part we want is the youths dem off the street doing something productive.”

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