Leases And Loans: MP Phillip Watts Outlines Plan To Support Farmers In La Horquetta/Talparo
Steps are being taken to improve the lives of farmers in the La Horquetta/Talparo constituency.
Member of Parliament for the area, Phillip Watts, says there are several issues to be resolved, including land tenure and agricultural land leases.
Speaking to TTT News, he lamented that this has negatively impacted the farming community.
« Most of the leases for the farmers would have expired twelve, fifteen years ago, and under the previous government, they never sought to assist these farmers. What are the outcomes of this? Low productivity on the farms. What is causing the low productivity? Without the lease document in their hand, they cannot approach the ADB to buy equipment, so therefore they are barely trying to plant and rear animals to survive. »
Mr. Watts, however, states that steps are being taken to address the issues.
« So, my plan is to really assist these farmers. First, we are working, I’m working very closely with the Minister of Land and Legal Affairs, Saddam Hosein. We have a plan to start to grant the leases, and renew the leases. Once that happens, we have ADB on standby to assist these farmers financially. »
According to Mr. Watts, once the issues are addressed, there are plans to further develop the agriculture sector in the constituency.
« My plan is just not to have them back on stream producing. I am starting to talk about exports with my farmers right now. We need to generate forex. We can’t depend on oil and gas to generate forex, and we have potential. »
MP Watts adds that while praedial larceny is an issue, farmers have seen significant improvements.
