The Small Farmer in Western Portland and Eastern St. Mary (Jamaica)

Part II (Volume II) deals with the small farmer in the Portland Region (West Portland and Eastern St. Mary parishes). The project area consists essentially of the constituency of Western Portland plus that portion of the constituency of Eastern Portland that includes Port Antonio, and that part of Eastern St. Mary parish contained within the Portland Region (defined by the Town and Country Planning Department). A special effort was made to look into the specific problems of the farms and farming communities along the valleys of the Rio Grande River, Swift River, Spanish River, and Buff Bay River, and into the potential for future development food crops, export crops, agro-industry, market towns and regional centers. A number of indicators (income, acreage, volume of production, yields, population growth and migration, etc.) show that this part of the North Coast has seen its development needs postponed, particularly as they apply to the small farmer. The analysis makes use of the methodological consideration that, whatever the problems of the small very specific proportion farmer on an island-wide basis, they combine in a in a particular area. Projects are proposed for the elimination or neutralization of these constraints. The inter-sectoral nature of these projects provides the basis of an integrated rural development program in the Target area.