Hartlands’ Farmers Hopeful for Land Leases

A group of St Catherine farmers is heaping praise on the sugar company of Jamaica for their intervention in a longstanding rift over land leases. The controversy began after several of the farmers who were once sugar workers, began occupying sections of Hartlands for planting seasonal crops.

Thousands of acres of land in St Catherine once used for sugar cultivation have again been brought into the spotlight this time as the land rush intensifies for construction, farming, and otherwise. At the heart of the dispute are those representing the small man, just over 30 small farmers who’ve been doing small-scale rotational farming on a relatively small area of the land. 

The road to their farms, destroyed by heavy equipment being used now to clear lands for larger owners many of whom they allege have had political connections or are financially well off. When CVM LIVE visited their tune was soft, as news of land leases to legitimize their work was heralded recently. 

And as they were equally bold and outspoken when times were less promising, so are they in saluting the work they hope will bring a resolution in their fight for lands to farm and feed the local market. Watch the report:

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