Fond St. Jacques is an agriculturally rich community which has been frequently referred to as the breadbasket of St. Lucia. Too often, the farmers of this community have been overlooked. Consequently, the farmers decided to join hands to form an association – Fond St Jacques Farmers Group (FSJFG). The FSJFG have decided to grow its membership by hosting a registration drive.
“Basically the idea of forming this group is to unite our farmers. We believe that if our farmers in Fond St Jacques are united, it will be of great benefit to them, the community and our country in general. We are still small in numbers, hence we would like to invite all farmers to be a part of this initiative” stated Cyril William, President of the Farmers Group.
The FSJFG seeks to promote a high standard of community life in agriculture in Fond St. Jacques, carry out projects for the benefit of the farmers, provide services for its member’s by developing markets for their produce and collaborate and create linkages with any other persons or organization to attain such.
According to William, the services to farmers have been prejudice. “In my view I think farmers have not been treated with the outmost respect that they deserve especially when it comes to the exorbitant prices they pay to get their inputs with very little assistance.”
Members will receive a variety of benefits including access to information pertaining to better farming practices and the advantages of receiving inputs. Residential farmers that are desirous of being a registered member are asked to contact Cyril William at 729 1473.
The FSJFG was conceptualized in February 2020 and registered in January 2021 due to the constraints of COVID 19. The organization looks forward to working closely with the Fond St. Jacques Development Committee and the District Representative Hon. Emma Hippolyte.