Minister of Agriculture Dr. Christopher Tufton (left) raps with Donovan Stanberry (right), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, and J.C. Hutchinson, Minister of State in the ministry, just before they toured the Coffee Industry Board offices, yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) is seeking to have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the newly elected Jamaica Labour Party government within the next six months.

Addressing a welcome function, as Minister of Agriculture Dr. Christopher Tufton toured the JAS' offices yesterday, president of the JAS, Norman Grant, said the MoU would seek to provide the sector with guidelines in moving forward.

A partnership for advancement

"The MoU is really to identify a number of initiatives that need to be implemented, with the associated costs and a timetable so that there can be a partnership for advancement within the sector among the Government and among all stakeholders in the sector," Mr. Grant said.

Under the MoU, the JAS wants:

1. The improvement of farm and rural road networks;

2. The establishment of a national contributory disaster relief self-insurance scheme for the fast-track recovery of the entire sector in the event of an adversity;

3. The endorsement of $100 million in working capital support for a centralised marketing programme to assist farmers in selling their crops.

In response, Dr. Tufton said that he hopes to meet with the JAS in two weeks to hammer out the details of the memorandum, as the new Government was willing to listen.

"I have an open-door policy and we are open to any suggestion. Those suggestions must lead to securing the well-being of critical stakeholders in the industry," Dr. Tufton said.