Peterkin wants better roads for coffee farmers

Parliamentary hopeful Patrick Peterkin is using the occasion of Blue Mountain Coffee Day to urge the Government to take urgent action to address the significant challenges faced by the nation's farmers.

Peterkin, the People's National Party (PNP) standard-bearer for St Andrew East Rural, highlighted the deplorable condition of farm and main roads in communities such as Westphalia, Hall's Delight, Mavis Bank, Irish Town, and Gordon Town, which, he said, makes life difficult for farmers in the constituency.

The roads in these communities, Peterkin said, are critical for farmers to access their fields and transport produce. He said that they have deteriorated to the point of making daily tasks a gruelling ordeal.

"The state of these roads is unacceptable," the statement read. "Traversing them should not be an additional burden for our farmers, who already work under tough conditions."

In addition to the state of the roads, Peterkin has pointed to the rising costs of essential inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides, which, he said, weigh heavily on the farmers, further straining their ability to sustain their livelihoods.

"The Government must prioritise the needs of our farmers," the PNP caretaker said. "Investing in the repair and maintenance of roads and expanding international promotion of Blue Mountain coffee are critical steps. These efforts would not only improve access to farms and markets, but also secure better prices and more profitable markets for our farmers."

"As the caretaker candidate for St Andrew East Rural, I stand in unwavering solidarity with our farmers. I pledge my continued support in championing their cause and working to create a stronger, more sustainable coffee industry -- one that genuinely benefits those who tirelessly uphold the legacy of Blue Mountain coffee," he said.

This year marks 71 years since the first direct shipment of Jamaica's world-renowned Blue Mountain coffee to Japan. Today marks the eighth year that Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day is being observed.