No passes for farmers

THE EDITOR: Open letter to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.

I write on behalf of farmers that belong to the Aranguez United Farmers Association.

With the draconian lockdown this weekend, my farmers attempted to get a pass to allow them to be at their agricultural fields during reasonable hours.

At 11.20 am on Thursday a call was placed to 612-3876, which I am told is the Command Centre. A WPC answered. The request was made for a pass explaining that fields cannot be left unattended, especially as flooding of crops is now a regular occurrence in the Aranguez area and heavy showers are expected this weekend, being that we are in the rainy season. At least the farmers would be able to pump out the water to mitigate flooding and the thousands in losses that can be expected.

The WPC ended the conversation with a rude, “Ask Dr Rowley if you want a pass!”

I bring this to your attention because loosing crops today means that the country could starve tomorrow. I write knowing that you are a reasonable man and you will quickly realise that not every answer requires a cannon to kill a fly.

If at this time in our nation's crises farmers are not considered essential and food crops not considered necessary to our sanity in surviving covid19, then I recommend throwing in the towel.

This week’s care for crops will determine whether we have goods to take to market next week. May I also point out soberly that fresh produce does not grow on the shelves of your favourite supermarket.

Farmers work almost 18 hours a day, reducing that down to five hours results in losses in the fields, as it did with the last draconian lockdown. With the already high prices of vegetables and the most vulnerable of the population unemployed, this is a dangerous mix.

One gets the impression that the officers are preprogrammed to deny callers even a reasonable hearing and a pass and all this is just an academic exercise in bad PR, aimed at making us feel we have a chance of getting a pass.

While I agree with the WPC that we should ask Dr Rowley, unfortunately he was notably absent from Parliament during the question-and-answer session.

We are not requesting passes to show off, drive up and down the country or make a lime or pass the bottle. Our request is not unreasonable or without merit. In the meantime, the ball, Sir, is in your court – or field. Play it well!

PUNDIT SATYANAND MAHARAJ

president

Aranguez United Farmers Association