GOVERNMENT HAS received more than $500 million in funding for the revitalisation of the agriculture sector in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.
Roger Clarke, the minister of agriculture, told Parliament on Tuesday that $128.5 million has been channelled through the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR) while $374 million has been provided by sources delivering funds outside of the ONR.
"The total amount of funding in cash and kind secured so far for the rehabilitation and restoration activities amounts to $502.6 million," Mr. Clarke said.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
The agriculture minister was answering questions tabled by J.C. Hutchinson, Opposition spokesman on agriculture.
Mr. Clarke said that the ONR has received funding for agriculture from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Hardware and Lumber Ltd., the Development Bank of Jamaica, Agro-Grace, and Project East.
Other sources of funding, not channelled through the ONR, include the European Union, which provided $288 million, USAID, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
"The Export Division of the Ministry of Agriculture will spend $38.8 million to resuscitate 163,240 pimento trees on 5,630 acres islandwide," Mr. Clarke said.
He also indicated that the sum provided by the European Union will come from funds under its Banana Improvement Programme.
The agriculture minister noted that the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) had verified 82,000 farmers as having suffered genuine hurricane damage and losses. Reports had been received from a total of 117,698 farmers.
Mr. Clarke said that it is expected that all farmers slated to receive benefits will receive those benefits by March 31, when the ONR's programme is scheduled to end.
