07/06/2025
Statement from Councillor Ronald Februarie (Ward 2) – On the Ongoing Failure to Issue Contracts to Small Farmers
The matter of providing contracts to small farmers on community land is not new — it has been tabled before council and a clear resolution was taken: small farmers must be issued with contracts. Yet, to this day, no action has been implemented.
This prolonged delay reflects not just administrative inefficiency but a failure of leadership at council level, particularly between the Speaker and the Chair of the Cooperative Services Committee. Their inability to see this matter through is directly undermining the agricultural growth and food security efforts of our region.
Let it be clear: council, as the executive, holds the responsibility for the current disarray. Constantly shifting this burden to administration is unacceptable. The very people trusted to lead development are instead stalling it — not just in agriculture but across the broader local economy.
As the elected councillor of Ward 2, I reject this culture of unstructured, bland incompetence. Our small farmers deserve legal certainty, dignity, and the support necessary to thrive. The community must not be misled or diverted. We know where the problem lies — and we must demand accountability and delivery from those in power.
It’s time to move from empty resolutions to real results. The land belongs to the people, and the people are ready to grow — give them their contracts!
