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VG Agri Fair judging unfair – NDP radio caller

- says situation is very fishy; warrants investigation
One caller on the NDP radio programme aired on February 18, 2013 claimed that he was a farmer from Virgin Gorda and was overlooked by judges during the recently held Agricultural Fair held on the island. Photo:VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – One Virgin Gorda resident has claimed that there were unfair practices exhibited during the recently held Agricultural Fair in Virgin Gorda, which reportedly excluded several farmers from having their crops judged as part of the fair.

The caller made the allegations during the NDP radio programme aired on a local radio station on February 18, 2013.

“Here in Virgin Gorda, unfortunately there is a [challenging] claim that the Virgin Gorda Agriculture Fair was unfair,” the caller stated.

He noted that complaints had been made with the Complaints Commissioner and the Complaints Commissioner’s Office to determine why some of the most outstanding farmer and their farms were not visited by any of the judges of the fair.

The caller also expressed that there were claims that persons who had won previously and continuously over the years were not put into the Department of Education’s file so that [judges] could visit and examine the farmers’ crops.

According to the caller, if those names were not put into [the file] then, there has been a manipulation that people are upset about.

The caller claimed that his plantation, in addition to others, were overlooked and not visited during the Agricultural Fair simply because their names did not appear on the list of persons to be judged and warranted some sort of investigation.

He indicated that both the Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Myron V. Walwyn in addition to the current and former Premiers Dr. The Hon. D. Orlando Smith and Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE were present at the fair when the alleged infraction transpired.

“It’s a very fishy situation,” the caller stated.

None of the panellists, which included all of the government Ministers with the exception of the Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, offered any comments or remarks on the caller’s claims.

One farmer in Virgin Gorda, Mr Ralph B. Legair, recently expressed that getting markets was a major challenge while noting that he was ready to ‘throw in the towel’ out of frustration at the lack of returns and for the production of his tomatoes.

 

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