Minister of Agriculture, Chet Greene, said that the government’s decision to excavate the plots of land on Friars Hill Road, better known as the Dunbars Estate, for a new social housing project had been known to farmers for months.
Minister Greene was responding to claims by some workers, made last week, that their jobs were under threat at the government agricultural station, and that crops were being destroyed in the process.
Excavators and other heavy-duty equipment have been spotted in the area for several weeks, clearing lands.
Last week, the United Progressive Party (UPP), through its media house, blasted government’s actions as “an ill-advised housing project” showcasing videos of excavators clearing lands where produce and drip irrigation systems were still in the ground.
In October, media reports indicated that the Cabinet announced that it was opening up the area for young professionals, pricing parcels of land at $6- $7 per square foot for residential usage, and $13 per square foot for commercial use.
“Some of the workers at the station are not in favour of the government’s policy, or the government’s decision, but you know it is not their call to make, said Minister Greene.
“At no stage, have the workers been disenfranchised or left without work because the programme entails replacement of land in other areas for agricultural development,” Minister Greene asserted.
He said that if reports were true in relation to damaged crops, then the Ministry of Public Works which is undertaking the clearing [had a responsibility] to liaison with Ministry of Agriculture staff to allow for crops to be reaped to prevent food wastage.
The Minister claimed that farmers have continued to plant new crops in the area despite the government’s announcement of its decision.
