Pottinger AGRICULTURE MINISTER Roger Clarke yesterday announced that the Government subvention allocated to the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) in this year's budget will be increased from $17 million to $40 million.
The Minister told the House of Representatives also that the Ministry of National Security is to assume responsibility for dealing with the vexed issue of praedial larceny.
The increased support to the ailing agricultural sector has been earmarked for recurrent expenses at the JAS, including recruiting core staff who will help turn around the debt-ridden organisation.
"I intend to appoint a Ministry team to do a proper audit and to develop a plan to deal with the JAS's outstanding debt," the Minister said during his contribution to the 2002/2003 Budget Debate.
The JAS has a $70 million debt hanging over its head, most of which is owed to the Government in the form of statutory deductions.
During his presentation, Minister Clarke also announced that an additional $10 million will be provided to the organisation for capital support programmes.
Yesterday, President of the JAS, Bobby Pottinger, applauded the Minister's announcement. He noted that it was not all that the organisation wanted but argued that it was welcomed especially against the background of tight budgetary constraints.
He told The Gleaner that he was especially pleased that the Minister had decided to shift the responsibility for the praedial larceny programme from the JAS to the Ministry of National Security.
"That's originally what we wanted. They didn't handle it over the years so we were forced to put it into our budget. But we are now satisfied that it's going to be handled by them and we are satisfied," he said.
Mr. Clarke said that urgent discussions were now taking place between the Ministry of National Security aimed at identifying wardens to deal with praedial larceny, which is a major handicap to local farmers.
Two weeks ago, Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke had to beg members of the JAS not to take to the streets in protest after the Government seemingly stepped back from a commitment to finance an anti-praedial larceny initiative.
The Cabinet had committed itself to providing the JAS with $50 million annually for the next three years, as seed money for the proposed Agricultural Credit Fund (ACF).
The fund was proposed to finance a praedial larceny initiative, including the employment of agricultural wardens, improve the marketing of domestic crops, provide extensive training of farmers and provide agricultural equipment on loan to members of the society who could not afford them.
Mr. Pottinger said yesterday that with the Minister's announcement the plans for the fund have been put on the ice for the time being. However, he said the JAS plans to revisit the issue in the future.
"We still believe that this is the long-term approach to take because what we are trying to do is to prevent rural-urban migration and keep the young people in agriculture," he said.
