Unreasonable and uncalled for.
This was how Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society, James Paul, describes the increasing pressures being placed on this island’s pig farmers due to the placement of housing developments in agricultural areas.
He used the more current example of a housing development being permitted to be located close to the largest pig farming operation on the island, adding that there were rumors of further expansion of the residential area.
Describing this as “not good enough” as issues were already arising for that operation whenever there were heavy rains, Paul added, “I really think that Town and Country Planning needs to really cooperate with our farmers as far as this is concerned.
“If not, we would have a situation where we are pushing pig farmers out of business in this country,” he continued.
The agriculturalist therefore called for a closer look to be given at change of purpose land applications heading into the Town and Country Planning Department.
“In the same way that greater scrutiny is given to farming enterprises wishing to establish even in farming areas, the same must apply for non-agricultural activities wishing to establish in farming areas. There are situations where unscrupulous landowners have placed housing developments in close proximity to agricultural undertakings,” he said.
Paul stressed that this must stop through “a more vigorous examination of all applications for a change of use submitted by owners of agricultural land.”
“In this regard, a public review of applications would be more useful rather than the current system that allows for ministerial edict,” he told those gathered yesterday morning at the Radisson Aquatica for the BAS Annual General Meeting. (JMB)