MEMBERS of farmers ‘co-operatives on the island are hoping for government to help them make their organizations viable.
At a meeting in Vieux-Fort last week with the co-operative department, members of the farmers’ cooperatives outlined some of the areas where they will require government assistance and the challenges they expect to face in obtaining such assistance.
The objective of the meeting was to review the cooperatives by- laws, which are expected to be ratified by the boards of member organisations sometime this year.
In addressing the meeting, president of the National Farmers Agri Business Co-operatives, Francis Blanchard made it clear that the Ministry of Agriculture did not have money and that member organisations should try to find creative ways to obtain the necessary resources they need.
“We should not depend on the government to make changes for us. We should be able to make our own changes,” Blanchard said.
He emphasized the urgency of the situation, as it relates to obtaining resources, and called on members to work together for the benefit of the organisation.