Minister of Agriculture, E. P. Chet Greene, has promised to hold regular, informal meetings with farmers in which the goal is to hear their concerns and challenges with a view to finding solutions.
The minister gave the commitment following visits to two farming communities last Friday in which he engaged with local farmers.
Minister Greene, accompanied by Chief Extension Officer, Owolabi Elabanjo, travelled to Burkes Estate, which is located east of All Saints Village, and Table Hill Garden in Liberta.
According to Elabanjo the farmers raised several issues which have grave implications for their industry.
These included assistance with land preparation, the provision of machinery, marketing their crops, the ability to acquire a line of credit with Central Marketing Corporation (CMC) and the price of agricultural inputs.
With respect to marketing, Elabanjo explained that talks centred around CMC’s role in providing this service and whether a separate entity should be established to concentrate on this key area.
In the case of the cost of agricultural inputs, while farmers complained about the spiralling cost of these items, it was explained that these items are already imported to the country free of duty. It was acknowledged, however, that significant increases in the cost of shipping have had a negative impact on the cost of these items.
On the issue of water, Minister Greene gave the commitment that he will discuss the matter with Utilities Minister, Melford Nicholas, to whom he would propose a 25 percent discount on the rate of water supplied to farmers.
The farmers also requested that identification cards be issued to registered farmers which will distinguish them as bonafide when conducting business. Minister Greene said this request could be implemented within a matter of months.
The meeting concluded with Minister Greene instructing the Chief Extension Officer to work diligently with farmers to address their concerns.
It is expected that these meetings will continue each Friday.
