CATEGORY:AGRICULTURE
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By Trevor Thwaites (Inside Grenada correspondent)


ST. GEORGE, Grenada - Several farmers were the recipients of cheques ranking from between EC$5,000 and EC$20,000 to help in the revival of the Agriculture Industry following the destruction caused by Hurricanes Ivan and Emily. The assistance comes under the Agriculture Enterprise Development Project, being undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture to revive the industry. Eleven million dollars have been earmarked for the project.

Six million have been directed as loans and grants for farmers with larger enterprises, while the remainder is for small farmers, who are also considered to be very important in the country’s drive to become self-sufficient in food. “Larger farmers will be able to access up to EC$40,000 in loans, while smaller farmers will be given assistance with fertilizers, plants and small animals, up to EC$1500”, Bowen said at the presentation ceremony last week in the Ministerial Complex.

The plan, according the minister, is have farmers growing specific crops for which markets have been identified at home and abroad. Bowen is looking for the corporation of farmers to work closely with the ministry of Agriculture to revive the industry. He said that many of the recently trained 90 young agricultural workers would be visiting the farmers regularly to provide support to ensure that their ventures are successful. “We will be out there in the field working with you.”

“If you say you are planting Pigeon Peas, then you should not be planting Ochro”; so I ask you to facilitate them”. The Agriculture Minister wants to see farmers undertake their enterprises in a business-like approach. “I want to remind you that it is Agriculture as a business. You must keep the books, the cost of inputs and labour, so that at the end of the month we can know that you are doing well. If you lose, the entire country loses. We do not want this to happen”, Bowen remarked.

He warned farmers about doing a good job on this occasion. Bowen does not want a reoccurrence of the developments with the Agriculture Emergency Rehabilitation Programme (AERP) that was implemented to revive the industry following Hurricane Ivan. The programme had to be halted because many farmers were found to be abusing the scheme. Some were claiming payment for brothers, sisters, nephews and others who were deceased or even crippled, while others were claiming for what work that was not accomplished. “We do not want this to happen. We want to build economic capacity and develop our country”, the minister said.

During the ceremony, the Agriculture Minister also presented a cheque for EC$300,000 to the Chairman of the Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association (GCNA), Augustine Vesprey, to help in the revival of the Nutmeg, Cocoa and Banana Industries. The request was made in May to help farmers implement proper drainage systems ahead of the rainy season. Vesprey thank the minister for the assistance, which he said was crucial at this time to preserve and sustain the 5% percent of Nutmegs currently being harvested. He said that proper drainage was needed in this regard.