Richard Morais, Freelance Writer FALMOUTH, Trelawny
OVER 200 young farmers will get lands and loans from the government to do farming under a new Agricultural Internship Programme.
This was disclosed by State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Errol Ennis, at the Hague Agricultural Show in Trelawny on Ash Wednesday. "We are seeking a programme of agricultural internship for some 200 or more new farmers in new methodology and technology approaching farming and agriculture as a profitable business," he said.
"This group of young farmers will be trained in agriculture at all various levels and we will be putting them through a period of internship after which we will be providing them access to all factors of production including lands, including credit, including other input to make their venture in agriculture a successful one," Ennis noted.
At the same event, first vice president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Dr. Trevor Dewdney wants one per cent service fee to be placed on all imported fresh vegetables and fruits, which would yield about $200 million annually to develop agriculture.
"That fee would come through the facility that is provided by the Bureau of Standards, it is already in place on other products coming," Dr Dewdney said. He added: Those monies would then go into a special development fund with member from the Ministry of Finance and Agriculture plus representatives that are involved in agriculture like the JAS." He said that all that is needed is the legislation by the government as this is not contrary to any free trade agreement as it is done in other countries. He mentioned hydroponics, marketing among other things that would be revolutionised with this money, which would improve the sector greatly.
