Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir on Friday backed the proposed change of use of farmland under active cultivation to residential development.He declared that arable land being repurposed for housing development would not significantly affect agriculture.Weir told Barbados TODAY in an interview that his ministry usually consulted with the Planning and Development Department (formerly known as Town and Country Planning) before a decision was made on applications.He was speaking in light of Bannatyne, Christ Church residents protesting an application for a nearby housing project at Newton Plantation, which would see 12.2 acres of land being subdivided into 58 residential lots.Earlier this week, residents complained that the area where the housing development has been earmarked was cultivated in sugar cane.
