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Farmers burning with rage - Record canefield fires may force some to call it quits
Published: Monday | February 16, 2009
Claudia Gardner, Gleaner [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Writer[/COLOR][/COLOR]
Two heavily laden cane tractors in Frome, Westmoreland. - Photo by Claudia Gardner
WESTERN BUREAU:
Many stakeholders on Westmoreland's sugar cane [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]belt[/COLOR][/COLOR] are expressing fear that the industry could collapse within a matter of months, leaving thousands displaced, because of a record number of cane fields being burnt to the ground.
Residents said since last December, arsonists have targeted Frome, the island's largest sugar cane community, burning cane fields with impunity.
Reports from the Westmoreland [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Fire [COLOR=orange! important]Department[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] are that in December last year, there were 48 cane fires, compared to seven during the corresponding month in 2007. Last month, there were 65 cane fires, compared to just 14 in January last year. When The Gleaner visited Frome on Wednesday, one haulage [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]contractor[/COLOR][/COLOR]
, Dave Golaub, said he had never seen so many simultaneous cane fires in his lifetime. He said the fires were having a devastating effect, especially on small farmers who were dependent on manual labour for reaping. Burnt cane is deemed substandard or worthless if not delivered to the sugar factory within three days.
It goin' collapse
"If things continue like this, we naw guh have nuh industry lef'. A collapse it goin' collapse," said Golaub. "It goin tek more maintenance
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...business1.html
Published: Monday | February 16, 2009
Claudia Gardner, Gleaner [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Writer[/COLOR][/COLOR]
Two heavily laden cane tractors in Frome, Westmoreland. - Photo by Claudia Gardner
WESTERN BUREAU:
Many stakeholders on Westmoreland's sugar cane [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]belt[/COLOR][/COLOR] are expressing fear that the industry could collapse within a matter of months, leaving thousands displaced, because of a record number of cane fields being burnt to the ground.
Residents said since last December, arsonists have targeted Frome, the island's largest sugar cane community, burning cane fields with impunity.
Reports from the Westmoreland [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Fire [COLOR=orange! important]Department[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] are that in December last year, there were 48 cane fires, compared to seven during the corresponding month in 2007. Last month, there were 65 cane fires, compared to just 14 in January last year. When The Gleaner visited Frome on Wednesday, one haulage [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]contractor[/COLOR][/COLOR]
, Dave Golaub, said he had never seen so many simultaneous cane fires in his lifetime. He said the fires were having a devastating effect, especially on small farmers who were dependent on manual labour for reaping. Burnt cane is deemed substandard or worthless if not delivered to the sugar factory within three days.
It goin' collapse
"If things continue like this, we naw guh have nuh industry lef'. A collapse it goin' collapse," said Golaub. "It goin tek more maintenance
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...business1.html