Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Renward Wells, yesterday said he was disappointed in local farmers after a video went viral of a group them protesting in front of the Prime Minister’s Cable Beach office Monday. The video showed the Prime Minister ignoring protestors as he entered his car and sped away.
One of the farmers cried shame and disgrace on the former and present government in the short clip, claiming they made appointments with officials but have not had their issues addressed.
In the video the man shouted,“ Garbage in, Garbage out… That’s the man who is ducking the farmers… Garbage, Garbage, Garbage!”
Wells, who has responsibility of the local farmers corp, said he noted that that there is a process in getting the attention of the minister. In this case he said that process was not followed.
He revealed that farmers have gotten more than they have requested from government and many of them have not taken advantage of the opportunities made available.
“Anything that they need for farming is available in the department,” he said. “We go out and look at the crops you put in the field from the land the government gave you. Not only that, the crop that you would have grown, we purchase,” Wells said.
When asked if he felt the farmers were ungrateful, Wells said that it would be up to the public to decide.
However, the agriculture minister added that some of the demands that the farmers have made have been unreasonable.
“They want farmers insurance,” he explained, “We’re looking at that. You have to remember that government doesn’t even offer insurance to some of its public servants but I was extremely disappointed in that social media video.”
Eyewitness News reached out to representatives from the United Farmers Association. A representative said they plan to meet with the minister as early as next week.
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