By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterTHE RURAL Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) on Monday reported that there was an inadequacy in the number of technical persons to conduct surveys to detect the dreaded Moko disease which has been confirmed on some banana farms in St. James.
Phillip Chung, RADA's senior plant protection officer, said that 33 more technical officers were needed to complement the 16 now working to identify the disease.
"There is definitely a need for more manpower to complete the survey in the next two to three weeks," he said, adding that just over 225 acres have been already surveyed.
The Ministry of Agriculture had initially said that the survey would be first conducted in St. James before moving to other parishes.
ADDRESSING VOID
According to Mr. Chung, RADA, which is part of a multi-agency task force set up to examine the Moko disease, was now considering tabling several options to the task force to address the shortage of technical personnel.
He noted that, among the proposals, technical officers from RADA and from other organisations would be transported to St. James to accelerate the surveying exercises. But this he said would cost additional funds.
It is understood that RADA is also considering proposing that students of agricultural training institutions assist with the surveying exercises. However, Janet Conie, director of research of the Banana Board, said that while this is a considerable option, the students would first have to be trained.
In the meantime, Mrs. Conie said that the Moko eradication programme was under way and that nine banana farms, covering just about 20 acres where the disease was detected, have been destroyed.
However, another two such are yet to be destroyed. Mrs. Conie explained that the delay in the eradication of these farms was the result of the reluctance of the owners of the respective properties to allow technical officers to inspect their properties.
She added that with the establishment of the Moko disease Order as of April 1, empowering the Ministry of Agriculture to inspect and destroy all farms with the disease, it would now soon effect the eradication exercise.
The director of research also said that the eradication programme has been consistent with its $5 million budget.
