| KINGSTON, May 20 (JIS): |
 The
Ministry of Agriculture is currently working with major stakeholders
in the banana industry to develop a programme of assistance for farmers
whose banana crops were eradicated under the Moko eradication programme.Addressing the Ministry’s post sectoral debate press briefing on May 19, the Ministry’s Chief Technical Director, Don McGlashan said that farmers whose 8 hectares of bananas were destroyed, had indicated that their losses amounted to approximately $1.2 million. The farmers have therefore requested assistance that would get them back on their feet, he said. Based on this, the Ministry was committed to assisting the farmers in a significant way, and was seriously contemplating re-establishing those 20 acres in suppressive Moko crops that included yams, sweet potato, carrot, gungo peas and some others, said Mr. McGlashan. The Ministry is also considering re-establishing 20 acres of new banana fields for the affected farmers. Lands would have to be leased for this purpose, Mr. McGlashan pointed out. “The Ministry, the Banana Board, Banana Export Company (BECO) and Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) are now looking at how we are going to proceed in terms of timing, to get the farmers back on their feet with regard to earning some form of livelihood,” he said. While results of the survey show that the disease has been contained in the banana producing areas around Maroon Town, RADA is continuing its survey of the parish of St. James to determine if the disease is present in other areas. Other parishes would be surveyed as soon as resources had been identified, Mr. McGlashan noted. |
