When Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves rose to address the International Conference on Bananas Tuesday he had reason to be very emotional. He had to pay tribute to a former stalwart of the farming community. {{more}} Significantly Julian “Bucky” Boyea, a prominent banana farmer, had passed away only hours before the start of this historic banana conference was to be convened. Dr. Gonsalves, with his voice at the point of breaking, offered condolences to the wife, children and relatives of ‘the fallen soldier in the banana war’ Bucky Boyea.
Boyea had been a longstanding farmer, prominent in arrowroot and banana circles for many years of his life. He had also been a political activist shouldering alongside former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell during the earlier years of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from whose ranks he was nominated a Senator in Parliament.
In later years he was to become very critical of the NDP and Sir James. Boyea’s activism and outspokenness led him to even side with Dr. Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party(ULP) in the last general elections over the People’s Progressive Party led by his own brother, businessman Ken Boyea.
Dr. Gonsalves intimated to this international audience that he was not paying tribute to the late Boyea, “just because he was [his] first cousin” but because of his dedication to the industry.
It is expected that Boyea would have many more tributes paid at his internment expected this weekend here.