SFC Report: Local farmers dissatisfied with market space in RT
This was revealed before the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) in April 2019 when Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration and Member for the Ninth District, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley inquired whether or not assistance is provided to persons to have their vendor stalls rebuilt at the market in Road Town.
According to the Report on the Deliberations for SFC to examine the Draft Estimates for 2019, the Acting Deputy Chief Agricultural Officer (AgDCAO) Mr Orville Clarke stated that complaints were received by vendors regarding not being able to display their produce for sale due to the “minimal trafficking of patrons” in that area.
The AgDCAO further stated that farmers were “not too happy” with the location and requested that another site be located. He also stated there were meetings with the farmers and they suggested that a proper site would be where Pusser’s Parking Lot is located currently.
Cultural fisher’s farmers market
Meanwhile, the Acting Chief Agricultural Officer (AgCAO) Mrs Tessa Smith-Claxton stated that many local farmers have complained about issues regarding marketing their produce. She further stated that the market space in Road Town has been seen by local farmers as not favourable for marketing their produce. She noted too that a group of farmers have started their “own little farmers market” and would come together once every two weeks on Saturday mornings.
Mrs Smith-Claxton also stated that they have engaged the farmers as well as Town and Country Planning Department to find a more suitable site that farmers are more comfortable with and have more or less decided that the area in front of Crafts Alive is the best location identified so far in Road Town.
She stated that the area was looked at as being combined as a cultural fisher’s farmers market; a day attraction moving into the night where locals and tourist alike can come seeing that the Crafts Alive Village is there and have fresh local produce and fish in the same location.
The AgCAO noted too that most of the produce sold in the area is imported produce from Dominica, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Meanwhile, Member for the Third District Hon Julian Fraser RA stated that even when agriculture was in its glory days farmers could not have demanded a location that they are currently demanding.
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18 Responses to “SFC Report: Local farmers dissatisfied with market space in RT”
I hate to see the coconut truck with all the shells on the ground.
Can the same or similar booths be built like the ones by craft alive in the market.
By Pussers is definitely not the place for farmers.
Jan girl you got your work cut out for you
I can remember(it may have been at other locations) the central market being at Sir Olva Georges Plaza. Then it moved to Chalwell St., then to Long Bush Road (close to the Band Stand) and now at its current location. With the build out of Road Town, the central market, public library.......etc should have been part of strategic plan build out. A central market serves a public purpose, showcasing the community’s culture........etc. A functioning, modernized central market, teeming with local goods, in addition to meeting the domestic needs can be a tourist attraction.
In the past, the central market was sited in the middle of Road Town. It was convenient central place for farmers/fishermen journeying from the country and outlying islands to sell their goods. However, with the availability of and improved transportation, the market does not have to be in the middle of Town. Customers will flock to the market if there are quality and reasonably priced supply of local goods. The current location may not be the ideal location. However, moving it to the Pussers parking lot may not be the best choice. There is a severe shortage of parking spaces in Road Town. As such, more spaces need to be added, not subtract from the current inventory. Other action(s) is needed to improve parking in Road Town.