Dear Editor,

I refer to the letter captioned “Has the farmer been marginalised?” (08.03.03). 

 I wish to draw attention to the fact that small farmers and agricultural societies, over the years have suffered the worst form of neglect by our governments.  Many  suffer from poor or sometimes no drainage or irrigation .  It is a nightmare to access these lands particularly during the rainy season.  Out of sheer determination  lands are cultivated against great odds only to be confronted with floodwater, loss of crops and the loss of multiple thousands of dollars. In all cases, such losses mean economic woes and psychological challenges for those poor farmers. 

Development of our agricultural potential will require some bold steps. These must include:
(A)  Provision of drainage and irrigation; proper access dams as a first duty of State.

(B) A state sponsored initiative to encourage small farmers, members of agricultural societies and first time farmers.  A major component of that  initiative should see the sponsorship for the initial preparation of lands.

The society/members/farmers will be responsible to cultivate and ensure proper husbandry.

(C) Strengthened and responsive agricultural extension support services.

(D) A strengthened co-operative department that will interact with (not police/threaten) these societies to improve management at all levels within the society.

(E) A transparent scheme to assist farmers in times of loss due to natural causes.

(F) Pricing and marketing mechanism that is attractive to farmers.

(G) Incentives to encourage world class practices that will see quality output for export and for local consumption.

Yours faithfully,
Nathaniel Smith