The Valley Bottom has for many years been one of the main sources of agricultural provisions in Anguilla, but this year there is a scarcity of cash crops due to a long period of drought extending from last year to 2021 so far.
Notwithstanding that, this current April has been designated “Buy Local Month” but farmers have little to sell due to the prevailing drought which, in addition, to earlier ploughing difficulties, significantly limited farming in Anguilla.
Two well-known senior farmers, Ras Elijah, a general cash crop grower, and Walwyn Hodge, who specialises in planting and harvesting what is called Anguilla or Statia white yams, have been busily engaged on their Valley Bottom farmlands this week.
Ras Elijah has a variety of vegetables under cultivation and occasionally under drip using water from the…. He listed his vegetable plants: “I have corn, tannias, eddoes, dashines, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, butternut squash, squash and tomatoes.” He averaged that his cultivation will eventually span about four acres with an additional area now being taken in. Amid his is cultivation are a number of single trellises for his tomato and yam vines.
Commenting on Government’s agricultural policies and plans to assist farmers, he stated: “I think it is a good idea. As far as I can remember, I think this is the only meaningful programme that we ever had. We need this especially now in these times of food security when all of us need to sustain ourselves food-wise.”
He went on: “The whole of April is supposed to be “Buy Local Month” but we can’t promote it as we would like this week because of the death of Prince Philip. But it is a good idea and will help the farmers to market their produce to the hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. It will provide them with opportunities to come and see what we have locally. This is the first time that this has been arranged, and I am looking forward to see it continuing to be build.”
Nearby, in the blazing sun and dusty farmland, Walwyn Hodge was forming large beds on an area of recently ploughed banks for his yam crop. “We usually plant Anguilla yams but last year a fellow tied his cow in my yams. There was some grass in the yams and he had his cow tied in them for about four days. Anguilla yams are an old time type of yams. Dominica has a type of yams that are not sweet but the Anguilla yams are starchy and white. They are also called Statia yams by a number of people but Statia does not plant yams.”
He added: “The soil here in The Valley Bottom is soft and very suitable, but you have to have rain.”
Elsewhere in The Valley Bottom, there are several plots that have been recently ploughed by other farmers who, like Walwyn, are waiting on rain.
In Ras Elijah’s case, his cultivation is under drip irrigation, taking advantage of the lower rates provided by Government through the Anguilla Water Corporation. He nevertheless uses the water sparingly. He also uses mulching and the taller corn plants to shade other vegetables and to maintain coolness for growth.
