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Paraquita Bay farmlands have been managed very poorly — Premier

Photo representational. Not an exact farm in Paraquita Bay.

Farmlands at the government-owned Paraquita Bay location on Tortola have not been governed as they should over the years, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has suggested.

Dr Wheatley was asked at a recent press conference whether there were lands available for lease to other persons, but the Premier suggested that the systems currently in place to allow for this need to be revamped.

“We often get questions from quite a number of persons about farmlands and I would say to you that our farmlands up until this point, particularly at Paraquita Bay, have been managed very poorly,” Premier Wheatley said.

He added: “There hasn’t been a proper process in place to ensure any level of accountability in terms of the use of the plots and even a transparent process to even be able to receive a plot. So it’s been very poor.”

According to Premier Wheatley, the government is seeking to implement a transparent, fair and accountable process for persons to be able to apply and be awarded plots for which they will need a lease.

Dr Wheatley said the lease will allow farmers to be held accountable in terms of how they should conduct themselves on those particular plots.

As with any lease, plot owners will be required to pay some amount of money, but Premier Wheatley did not give any indication of how much funds will be required to lease any given plot of land.

In the meantime, a land management committee led by Dr Harlan Vanterpool was put in place for the Paraquita Bay location, Dr Wheatley said.

The Premier also noted the Cabinet will soon approve an official process that will provide farmers with the legal certainty they require to continue confidently farming the land in that area.

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9 Comments

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  1. trust me says:

    More apartments gonna spring up

  2. No surprise says:

    So much for the so called thrid pillar of the economy, along with the millions spent on greenhouses.

  3. Lodger says:

    Name something, anything, that has not been badly managed.

    Like 11
  4. Lodger says:

    Name something, anything, that has not been badly managed

  5. Smh says:

    That’s because of you yourself & TJ who is running agriculture!!!! Trying to kill down to the dogs …!!!!

  6. What's new says:

    Everyone keeps on admitting on how things are managed poorly..what a surprise!

  7. Look says:

    Just step down.

  8. Rubber Duck says:

    Translation. Now that we have spent millions of your money, we are going to give this land to our relatives and cronies.

  9. THE GOVERNMENT says:

    CAN SOLVE PROBLEM ,BY OPENING OR DEVELOPING AN AGRIGCULTURE FARM OUT THERE , IT WILL CREATE LOTS OF JOBS FOR PEOPLE FROM HERE AND AFAR CAN WORK TOGETHER AND SHARE THEIR CULTURE , WITH RESPECT FOR EACHOTHER AND COMBINING THE KNOWLEDGE TO CREATE CLEAN AND HEALTHY VEGETABLES FOR THE PEOPLE ( THE LAND IS BEING UNDEVELOPED FOR YEARS ) THE CUBA WAS JUST MOUTH / saint ANDREW PREFERRED WEED , THIS AINT NO PLACE FOR A KID

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