REPRESENTATIVES OF the Ministry of Agriculture, the Citrus Growers Association (CGA), the Jamaica Citrus Protection Agency and the People's Co-operative Bank, are to meet next week to iron out problems affecting the citrus replanting programme.
The programme which was launched in January 2001 to boost the citrus industry and to eliminate the citrus tristeza virus which had affected the industry, involves the replanting of some 2,833 hectares of citrus fields over a five-year period using certified planting material. It is being financed by the Govern-ment, the Caribbean Develop-ment Bank, and citrus farmers who have been provided with lines of credit.
Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, gave instructions for the meeting after listening to concerns expressed by citrus farmers at a meeting held recently at the St. Thomas Yevale Anglican Church in Bog Walk, St. Catherine.
The concerns include the delay in the processing of loan applications by the People's Co-operative Bank, the high cost of seedlings, and praedial larceny.
Mr. Clarke noted that the project, which was in its second year, had failed to reach its target, noting that only about 360 hectares of citrus fields had been replanted.
"I want to find out how we can keep in sync with the objectives that we had set and what that will entail. We have to catch up on the shortfall, so that at the end of the five years we can say we have achieved our goals," the Minister said.
He called on the extension officers to be more "proactive" and to assist the farmers to cut through some of the bureaucracy to access their loans. He also appealed to the CGA to find ways of reducing the cost of producing seedlings, so they could be sold at a minimum cost.
"I know we are operating under tight constraints as far as the budget goes, but if we do not find a way of dealing with production, the budget is going to be in worse difficulties in the years to come," Minister Clarke said.
"Until we are able to produce, we are not going to get ourselves out of the difficulties that we are facing," he added.
Also addressing the farmers was co-ordinator of the
replanting exercise, Florence Young, who gave an overview of the progress of the replanting project, such as the public education programme and the technical services.
