THE GLEANER, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS A2 FOUR BUILDINGS at Harman Barracks have been renovated to the tune of $93.4 million. The barracks, which have a capacity of 72 persons per building, is home to members of the Specialised Operations Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang said it was embarrassing to have professionals who respond to high violence living in the rundown facilities. Through funding from the National Housing Trust (NHT), Chang said the barracks have been restored to a“liveable space”. LONG-TERM PLAN The security minister said the remainder of the buildings at Harman Barracks will be refurbished in short order. “There is a longer-termplan for further development but in the short term, we are refurbishing all the buildings,” Chang said. NHT senior project manager, Jacqueline Johnson, said they had a budget of $104 million but only $93.4 million was paid out. “We removed everything. All that we left were the walls. So we replaced all the windows, all the electrical works were done, painting, we equipped the buildings with washing machines and dryers and kitchen appliances,” Johnson explained. NHT senior general manager, Donald Moore, said the trust is proud to partner with the JCF to improve the conditions of police facilities across the island. “We understand how critical it is to national security and I think that the move to make sure that our communities are safe is a very important part of housing. We are quite happy with the results and I know based on the response of the people who are using the space, that it will be well appreciated,”Moore said. Meanwhile, head of the Specialised Operations Branch, Assistant Commissioner of Police Warren Clarke, said he was satisfied with the efforts to make members of the force more comfortable. “Enforcement takes a lot of energy, a lot of investment in training and other things and so after working hard, it’s very welcoming to be able to enjoy the facilities that have beenmade available for us,”Clarke remarked. editorial@gleanerjm.com More than $90 million spent to renovate police barracks ACP Warren Clarke (left), Sherika Service (centre), superintendent of police give Dr Horace Chang, deputy prime minister and minister of national security a tour of the renovated areas of the Harman Barracks in Kingston on yesterday. RUDOLPH BROWN/PHOTOGRAPHER Asha Wilks/Gleaner Writer COMMUN I T Y MEMBERS and business owners in Ewarton, St Catherine, where Russian company En+ Group International PJSC operates UC Rusal WINDALCO in Jamaica, have expressed concern about the lingering uncertainty caused by the potential negative impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the local plant. There are increasing concerns about job security among the scores of men employed to the company who are the sole breadwinners of their respective families. The United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, among other countries, have imposed punishing economic sanctions on Russia for its military invasion of SouthWest Ukraine on February 24. The list of sanctions targets banks, oil refineries, military exports, among others. It is believed that the penalties inflicted on Russia could have a significant impact on UC Rusal’s WINDALCO operations in Jamaica, resulting in layoffs and a slowdown of daily operations. Some have theorised that if the war continues, the plant will be forced to close as USA may refuse to accept the shipping of alumina from Jamaica through their ports to other countries and corporations. Clemont Amos, a former worker who spent 30 years at UC Rusal as a processing operator, suggested that “a Russian-owned company enuh, anything possible,” in response to the question of possible job cuts. He said that there were periods when the company would shutter the plant for three days at a time to maintain the machines. As a possible closure looms, he expressed fears that they might shut down for good instead of reopening. “Me nuh sure if them a go back to full-scale [operation] cause them haffi a watch wah gwan,” he said. Amos explained that his son, who works at the mining company, did not say if the management had made a decision on what their course of action would be. VincentMorrison, president of the Unionof Clerical, Administrative, and Supervisory Employees (UCASE), has encouraged employees of WINDALCO to“stay calm”. According to Morrison, who had dialogue with company officials on Tuesday, UC Rusal has asserted that it would not be adversely affected by the numerous sanctions against Russia. “Having spoken to the company and having got the assurances from the company... we would be in a position to make our plans, to decide what we are going to do going forward and we can’t do that until we are told by management what are their plans going forward, and their plans as we understand is that business remains the same,” said Morrison about the next course of action. When contacted, Senior Information and Public Affairs Officer at UC Rusal Monique Grange said the company could not comment on issues surrounding its future operations. Despite the fact that business has been poor since the COVID19 outbreak, one taximan who operates the Ewarton to Linstead route explained that if UC Rusal went out of business, it would have a severe impact on his business. Tiffany Jackson andMarsha Gray, both cashiers at the Triple Star Service Station’s Mini Mart, said the store receives significant support from the staff of WINDALCO. Gray told The Gleaner that if WINDALCO closed its doors, the revenue earned by the service station and mini mart would plunge. Job security concerns heighten at Russian-owned bauxite company in Jamaica UC RUSAL WINDALCO bauxite mining company in Ewarton on Thurday, March 3, 2022. Marsha Gray, cashier of Triple Star mini mart speaks about the Russian Ukraine war and the likely impact on the RUSAL WINDALCO company and the community in Ewarton. PHOTOS BY RUDOLPH BROWN/PHOTOGRAPHER Clement Amos, former worker at UC RUSAL WINDALCO mining company speaks about the Russian Ukraine war and the possible implications for employees at the company. André Williams/Staff Reporter JAMAICANS HAVE long been encouraged to till the soil and Rockfort brothers Davian and Kevan Watt, who turned their backs on a life of crime, are now making significant strides as farmers in their community. The men, who reside inWareika Hill in east Kingston, have seen benefits from crop and vegetable harvesting last year and are looking forward to realising a bumper crop in 2022. “By time we fi reach Coronation Market the fence line full, especially when we had the callaloo,” Kevan told The Gleaner. The residents have welcomed the farm in their community, as accessibility to the market for the elderly has been problematic. The area, measuring close to 50 acres, was a dumping ground and the brothers said they had to fight to secure theplot of land for farming. “We literally almost get inna gun war just to stand where we standing now. You know the type of trouble we use to give and we a pree farming ya now and we fight for it,”Kevon said of the resistance they met upon. Davian, the younger brother, is now a registered farmer with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. He made the plunge in agriculture after a life of violence. “Yuh see pon a bigman level, if me did know say farming so nice from dem time deh til now probably we wouldn’t follow up the violence part of the thing. From we get involved in the farming, can tell yuh say we nuh look back on the violence side,”Davian said. SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT The brothers told The Gleaner that they have received substantial support from their Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell; councillor for the Norman Gardens division, Jacqueline Lewis, and a man identified only as Dane. “From we turn da side ya we nah fi look back, if we nah sell chicken, we a sell plantain, banana and vegetables. The MP push we, councillor push we same way,” Davian said. Their farming and agricultural practices have attracted local and international visitors who have commended the brothers for their achievements. “A prepare we a prepare fi start push on back the crops on the bed. Sweet pepper, broccoli, tomato, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, cabbage.Whenwe reapthecabbage dempretty. Andweget nicegungo,” Kevon told The Gleaner. The i r r i ga t i on wa te r management employed on the farm turns over pleasant results for the sibling farmers. They began banana and plantain production fromonly three suckers and have amassed more than 150 plants that continue to produce suckers for transplanting. The brothers sowed 2,000 sweet peppers last year and are looking to boost production this year. The young farmers feel a sense of accomplishment as they are able to earn a living from farming while at the same time satisfying the demand for fresh produce from residents in surrounding communities. They told The Gleaner that they are in need of additional farm tools and want to get other youth involved in farming. “If dem youth ya did a pree like how we a pree right now, mi a tell yuh it woulda better this side ya. Yuh find say a me and mi breda alone inna the farming,” Kevon said. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries reported a major increase in agricultural production for the last quarter of 2021. Preliminary estimates for domestic crop production for the October to December quarter showed an increase of 18.2 per cent over the corresponding quarter of 2020, moving from 161,639.6 tonnes to 190,990 tonnes. According to the ministry, significant contributors to the increased production were: condiments 12,755.7 tonnes (50.2 per cent), fruits 16,123.8 tonnes (36.5 per cent), and vegetables 67,498.5 tonnes (24.1 per cent). Kevan Watt shows off plantain growing on his farm in Rockfort, east Kingston. He also plants a range of agricultural produce. Davian Watt is attending to his vegetable plants. CONTRIBUTED Brothers shun crime to make inroads in farming
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