AGRICULTURAL feeder roads (farm roads) in the major farming communities of Mighney and Derache in Soufriere are being rehabilitated under the BAM Programme.
Mighney and Derache are in Fond St. Jacques, the farming community hardest hit by Hurricane Tomas in October of 2010.
At a recent sod turning ceremony to mark the commencement of works on the Mighney/Derache Road in Soufriere, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Darius Gabriel, said the issue of agricultural feeder roads is an important one for his Ministry. He asserts that good feeder roads are an important component of the agricultural network and the infrastructure for agriculture, to ensure that the standards that are required in transporting agricultural produce from farms can be met. He noted that good feeder roads also help reduce the cost of operating and maintaining farm vehicles, thus reducing the overall cost of production.
Dr. Gabriel told the gathering: “The whole issue of rehabilitation of agricultural feeder roads will help refocus attention and energy on the need for us to ensure that the kind of infrastructure that is required to engender the development of the agricultural sector to the level that we perceive that it can be, is put in place. So our hope is that this particular sod turning ceremony will stimulate and catalyze, the rehabilitation of other agricultural feeder roads on the island.”
National Authorizing Officer, Tracy Polius, revealed that initially, 15 agricultural feeder roads across the island were earmarked for rehabilitation, but government had to reconcile with falling exchange rates and the available budget was not adequate for rehabilitation of all fifteen roads. She said the Mighney/Derache Road made it to the priority list, as the criteria for selection of the roads, within the context of the budget, revealed that the Mighney/Derache Road is critical to agricultural production in St. Lucia.
According to Polius, some of the considerations which resulted in the choice of the Mighney/Derache Road were – the quality, quantity, and value of agricultural produce in the area; the percentage of household income derived from agricultural activity; the potential for agro-tourism linkages, and the budgetary allocations from the European Union.
On completion, the Mighney/Derache Road will see improvements to 430 metres of road. It is the shortest of the four agricultural feeder roads being rehabilitated under BAM, in terms of scope of works and cost. Be that as it may, Polius believes the Mighney/Derache Road will rank amongst the highest in terms of value, to those who use the road to earn their livelihoods as farmers, farm labourers, and owners of farm lands.
Echoing the sentiments of Dr. Gabriel, Polius said the Agriculture Sector remains a priority for the Government of St. Lucia. More specifically, she said government is interested in strengthening the relationship between the agricultural sector and the tourism sector. Consequently, she said, rehabilitation of feeder roads is key to improving the tourism-agriculture value chain. In addition, she said the strategy of consolidating the gains from the tourism industry, through enhanced value added in the agricultural sector, will assist in reducing poverty in many rural communities. This is consistent with the objectives of the BAM Programme.
Polius, who is also the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development, revealed that BAM Funds are fully committed and the level of engagement between the Delegation of the European Union and the Government of St. Lucia is at its peak. Polius was happy to report that the EU Delegation has reaffirmed its commitment to working with St. Lucia and other donors, in implementing reforms and policy actions that will further transform the agricultural sector.
Parliamentary Representative for Fond St. Jacques/Soufriere, Herod Stanislas, described the impending rehabilitation of the roads in his constituency as “a great opportunity for the farmers of Mighney and Derache.” He described it as “an effort that signals the continued commitment of the Government of St. Lucia and the European Union to the development of the Agriculture Sector in St. Lucia, through the Banana Accompanying Measures – BAM.”
Speaking to the core objectives of the programme, Stanislas said the ATP/BAM represents an effort to promote diversification within the agricultural sector, support broader economic diversification outside of agriculture, and support social adjustments linked to contractions in the banana industry.”
Agricultural feeder roads in the farming communities of Compere in Dennery, Bois Cannon in Micoud and Morne Cayenne in Vieux Fort, will also be rehabilitated under the BAM Programme to the tune of 1.57 million Euros. The Contractors for these projects are Construction and Industrial Equipment Limited (CIE) and Gregory Mongroo.