Candidates speak out in support of farmers

Tuesday 27th September 2011, 2:56PM BST.

The hall was packed for the meeting

THE agricultural industry is vitally important to the Jersey way of life and needs more support from the States – that was the message from the 13 Senatorial candidates last night.

At a packed St Martin’s Public Hall, the group answered four questions that focused on entrepreneurship, the development of the Esplanade, the agricultural industry and the quality of the current States Chamber.

The Constable of St Martin, Silva Yates, was chairman of the meeting, which carried on with the use of portable lights when the parish was hit by a power cut.

• See Tuesday’s JEP for full report

View more: Election 2011 news.

1
Jerry Gosselin

September 27, 2011 at 3:42 pm

I know of one organic farm shop which will cease trading very soon judging by its near-empty shelves, yet it produces some of the best pork sausages you’ll ever taste.

There is also another farm shop I used to visit until it closed its spacious retail outlet in St Peter last winter. Sadly, many of these outlets are located in sparsely-populated areas so they depend on customers with their own means of transport making the special effort to visit them.

Why not have a ‘Farm Shop Day’? Economic Development could sponsor it. Islanders could cut out a coupon from the J.E.P. and use it on a given day at various approved farm shops to buy produce at a big discount. It might help make more people aware of certain farm outlets that previously they didn’t know existed. Even better if a retail site could be found in St. Helier on a reduced or minimum rent where these farm shops could all sell their produce together.

Words are pointless. ACTION is needed. And that includes those in the private sector who might be able to help these farm shop businesses re-capitalise and keep going.

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2
Farmer Giles Of Ham

September 27, 2011 at 3:49 pm

So at a hustings meeting deep in farming country the electoral hopefulls voiced support of the farmers they will later screw when in office. it’s laughable, they are even more transparent than their UK counterparts, we’ll do anything you want – right up to the point when were elected, then it’s business as usual and serve the rich.

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3
Theo

September 27, 2011 at 6:42 pm

From what I noticed recently, farmers are having to join the States’ elections, in order to make ends meet.
Obviously, supermarkets/diners, oops sorry, farm shops don’t seem to pay enough.

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4
Nigel Pearce

September 29, 2011 at 6:42 pm

The comments above are a bit flippant.
The Chinese are buying up huge swathes of Africa to produce food (you can bet it’s not for the Africans or the world outside China).
We should be thinking ahead for what threatens to be a forthcoming food shortage as Europe will be unable to feed itself.

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