John Myers Jr., Agricultural Coordinator
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller examines local craft items on display in the St. James pavillion at the annual Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show on Monday. - Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has issued a challenge to the people to hold her government accountable to the policies and programmes she outlined as part of her strategic plan to move Jamaica forward.
"I ask all Jamaicans (or) anyone of us politicians, whether from the Peoples' National Party or from the Opposition (JLP), hold us to our promises," she said.
In her inaugural address at the annual Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show in May Pen, Clarendon on Monday, a flamboyant Prime Minister Simpson Miller also extended her promise to make more opportunities available in the agricultural sector.
Mrs. Simpson Miller promised "to make more opportunities available within the sector for rural and poor urban communities to earn a better living."
Budgetary allocation
She highlighted the fact that her administration had increased the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture, to which the land portfolio was added, by some $400 million. She said the additional money had been directed in areas where development was most needed.
Mrs. Simpson Miller said $50 million was set aside for the development of a technology-based fruit tree crop programme to reduce the country's $300 million importation bill of fruit con-centrate. In addition, the Prime Minister said further help was being sought from overseas to assist with the development of the fruit tree crop programme. "I have therefore, delivered on my campaign promise to boost agriculture," she declared.
But Senator Anthony Johnson, the Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture, was not impressed. "The fact is only one per cent of the budget has been granted to agriculture and that one per cent is absolutely inadequate," he told The Gleaner following Mrs. Simpson Miller's address at Denbigh. He pointed to the poor state of farm roads across the island and the problem of praedial larceny, which he said, was getting from bad to worst.
In the meantime, the organisers of the Denbigh show are already declaring this year's event a success. President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, Senator Norman Grant told The Gleaner that he was very "upbeat" about the turnout. "I think it has been a very good show," he said. While not prepared to estimate how many people attended the three-day show, Senator Grant said the numbers were larger than any of the popular reggae concerts that are held.
