By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE DREADED Moko disease has been discoverd at another two banana fields in St. James but the Ministry of Agriculture is insisting that it has now been contained.
Both Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) are maintaining that with some 60 per cent of banana cultivations in the parish assessed, there are indications that the spread of the disease has been curtailed.
"By contained we mean that the disease is in a defined area and there is no evidence that it has been spreading to other areas," said Phillip Chung, RADA's senior plant protection officer.
He said the two latest farms on which the disease was discovered back in May are located in Brown's Town in St. James and fall within the general proximity of south St. James where other farms with the disease were detected. Brown's Town lies between Silver Grove and Vaughnsfield.
Earlier this year, the two latter communities were pinpointed as having farms infected with the Moko disease.
Other communities battling with the disease are Phoenix Road, George's Valley and Montpelier.
So far, a total of $1.2 million in assistance has been paid over to farmers who have lost banana fields due to the disease. This is part of $4 million in aid earmarked for the farmers who have suffered financial losses due to the disease.
The Agriculture Ministry is now negotiating for lands for the affected farmers, to facilitate their re-entry into the banana industry.
"We have hit some snags with regards to the lease of lands to the farmers. The person or persons that we have been negotiating with have been demanding too high a rate for the lease agreement, so the negotiations are still continuing," the Agriculture Minister pointed out. "When a proper lease agreement is worked out we will be assisting the farmers to get back on their feet."
Mr. Clarke noted that many farmers have begun to plant on the affected lands, crops such as corn, yam, sweet potato and cassava which suppress the disease.
Meanwhile, the plant protection division of RADA which is assessing banana fields for the presence of the Moko disease, will be turning its attention to the city of Montego Bay and the Amity Hall community in St. James, during the coming weeks.
