by CARLOS ATWELL

HE IS NOT AT WAR with construction magnate Sir Charles Williams or his brother businessman Ralph Williams, said general secretary of the National Union of Public Workers Dennis Clarke.

Clarke was reacting to a letter by Ralph "Bizzy" Williams published in the last SUNDAY SUN, offering land to both him and Minister of Agriculture Haynesley Benn for them to grow food produce.

He said it was the brothers' business if they took his initial comments as personal.

"I was making broad statements about agriculture and food processing. I was talking about policy; it was nothing personal," he said.

He had recently said that Government should mandate Sir Charles to produce more food at Kendal Plantation, St John, instead of that land being used for "grass and horse feed crops". Clarke was also quoted as saying Barbados needed to look at planting potatoes and cassava on a wide scale again as well as establishing a food processing plant in order to start producing flour.

He was joined by Minister of Agriculture, Haynesley Benn, who said Sir Charles had been encouraged by the previous administration to use land more for economic benefit than for food production.

In response, Sir Charles questioned why he was singled out as there was plenty of Government land not being used for food production and land
at Kendal Plantation was being used for agricultural projects.

The issue ignited public debate with people writing in their comments, mostly in favour of Sir Charles, to THE NATION.

In the latest round of debate Ralph Williams, in a letter published in last SUNDAY SUN, offered both Clarke and Benn five acres of land in Foursquare, St Philip, so they could "show Sir Charles how it's done".

He said he would be willing then to give them all 40 acres of it once "they can put together a joint venture with us to grow food crops on the land and do it profitably".

When contacted, Benn said he would not be commenting on the matter.

"It should not have been seen as an attack. I complimented Sir Charles [about his livestock] but invited him to grow more food; now I am under attack," he said.

In the letter, Williams praised both Benn and Clarke for their desire to see Barbados produce more food but said they had picked on "the wrong whipping boy" in his brother.

However, Clarke said he still thought Sir Charles could put more food into production.

"The issue is not just about land, but agro-processing. There is a wide range of issues if you are looking at food," he said.

He said he would comment on the issue further at a later date. (CA)