Dionne Rose, Staff ReporterOpposition Member of Parliament for North Western St. Elizabeth, J.C. Hutchinson has, recommended that the government charge a one per cent levy on imported agricultural produce to establish an Agricultural Development Fund.
Mr. Hutchinson made the
recommendation during his contribution to the 2005/06 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Tuesday.
According to Mr. Hutchinson, the former Opposition spokes-
man on agriculture, "This fund will be able to expand the
extension service, increase our research capabilities and put in place a proper marketing system."
Senator Norman Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), said this is something that the society has been advocating for over the last two years, and welcomed the support of Mr. Hutchinson for the fund.
Mr. Hutchinson suggested that the fund could run for a limited period, depending on developments on the international platform. He also recommended that the government encourage the establishment of an inter-cropping system that would serve to benefit farmers until their crops are ready for reaping.
inter-cropping system
"I agree wholeheartedly with the Minister's Tree Crop Programme but we need to also educate the farmers to put in an inter-cropping system with that Tree Crop Programme," he said.
Mr. Hutchinson also criticised the Ministry of Agriculture for being inefficient, claiming that it was too cumbersome with too many overlapping departments, for example, the training, research and administration departments.
He suggested that all areas of research should fall under a national agricultural research centre, and that all training combine to form an agricultural training centre.
Mr. Hutchinson said the Extension Service in the Ministry needed to be investigated, as the services were not being transferred to the field, and that RADA should be redefined because it was failing to carry out its mandate.
