Reunited Farmers Alliance tells Singh: No, government does not respect farmers

POLITICAL leader of the Reunited Farmers Alliance (RFA) Davica Thomas strongly disagrees with a recent statement by Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture Avinash Singh that this government respects farmers.

Singh made the comment during Senate on Tuesday when he boasted of the ministry's "several services" available to farmers.

He later said, "Farmers are now being given the respect by this government that they have not been given over the last administration."

Asked about this on Wednesday, Thomas said successive governments have not shown respect for farmers, including this one.

Thomas was at a press conference in Port of Spain at which it was announced that her party and the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) have joined forces for the August 14 local government election.

The RFA was created in 2019 and was initially as a lobby group for food crop farmers and ex-Caroni (1975) Ltd workers, who have been waiting for lands promised to them as part of their Voluntary Separation of Employment Package (VSEP) for two decades.

Thomas said farmers face a range of challenges including high chemical prices, lack of resources, and praedial larceny

She said this government "absolutely (does) not" respect farmers.