JAMALCO says farmers in St Toolies, Manchester, were given adequate notice

Bauxite mining company, Jamalco says farmers in a section of St Toolies, Manchester, who complained that their crops were damaged in the process of clearing lands for mining last week, were given adequate notice to vacate the area.

The company was responding to Radio Jamaica News regarding the complaints made by the farmers during a demonstration on Thursday.

The farmers said they lost crops that were ready for reaping.

However, Jamalco reiterated that the farmers will not be compensated. According to the company, residents of St Toolies were notified of the plans to mine during several community sensitization meetings during May and June.

A notice was also placed at the site at least four weeks prior to the stripping of the land.  

Jamalco says it observed in April that some persons were planting crops on the property and informed them that there would be no compensation. 

Jamalco says it does not compensate farmers who do not have a legal right to carry out business activities on Government of Jamaica owned property that it is entitled to access for mining. 

The bauxite company says, in recent times, and particularly at the St Toolies location, several persons have, instead of reaping their crops, increased farming activities and then demanded compensation.


In the meantime, the company says it will be assisting a small group of farmers who claimed to have been farming at the St Toolies location for two years.

Jamalco says it will consider leasing to the farmers, land that it has mined out and reclaimed in nearby communities.