LINSTEAD: Young farmer gets help after big losses to theft and dry season

LINSTEAD: Young farmer gets help after big losses to theft and dry season

May 23, 2020 0 By Horace Mills

A young farmer from the Linstead area of St. Catherine has received much-needed financial assistance from philanthropists in the United States; this after he racked up relatively huge losses due to theft and the dry season.

The philanthropists are Dr. Rupert Green, and Linval Taylor and his wife Menervah.

They assisted the 29-year-old farmer, Jermaine Black, after The Beacon reported that thieves recently made off with 10 of Black’s goats valued at a total JA$183,000.

Black also has been losing a significant amount of his crops due to the protracted dry season.

He, after collecting the donation, expressed gratitude, adding that the funds will be put to good use on his farm.

The philanthropists donated JA$111,222.

Dr. Green is hopeful that the donation will help to get Black back on his feet.

“I would like to see young people driven to farming, seeing one lemon in the United States costs as much as $1.00. Soursop goes for $US8.00 a pound, and sweet sop for $US9.00 a pound,” he further said.

Dr. Green also expressed hope that the Jamaican government will exert greater effort in curbing praedial larceny and encouraging young people into farming.

In the meantime, Mr. Taylor said he is impressed that the young farmer has presided over the growth of his farm, has diversified his farming products to become self-employed and motivated, and has been helping to feed Jamaicans.

“As philanthropists, we made the contribution to help get Jermaine back on the road to prosperity quickly,” he added.

Mr Taylor also underscored the importance of farmers having access to water.

“Jermaine [Black] indicated that he and other farmers have an issue with the water supply, and that he is asking the government to lend a helping hand in that regard. The farmers play a vital role in supplying food to many tables locally, and a steady supply of water would embolden them to expand their planting to other cash crops,” Mr. Taylor further reasoned.

He, along with Dr. Green, has been making contributions to educational and other worthy causes for several years.

ALSO READ: Linstead youth, who loses 10 goats to thieves, not giving up on farming

By Horace Mills, Journalist


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