Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green (left), listens to a point made by Chairman of the All-Island Cane Farmers Association, Ambassador Derrick Heaven, during a virtual meeting with representatives from the Clarendon Cane Farmers Group on March 2. At right, is Chief Technical Director in the Ministry, Courtney Cole.
The Government has allocated $119 million for the 2021 crop season to support the transportation of sugar cane to the Monymusk Sugar Factory in Clarendon, Frome in Westmoreland and Worthy Park in St. Catherine.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green made the announcement during a virtual meeting with representatives from the Clarendon Cane Farmers Group on March 2, where he disclosed that Cabinet formally gave the approval on Monday for the final year of subsidy payments to be made.
“In total it is 35,000 tonnes of sugar cane with 30,000 from the Monymusk area and the additional 5,000 from the two other areas,” he said.
The Minister also informed that included in the allocation is funds for the attendant activities that go along with the transportation of cane such as repairs to cane roads and transportation bays and security.
Over the past three years, the government has expended over $500million in subsidy to facilitate the transportation of sugar cane and to effect repairs to cane roads as part of the continued support to farmers and other stakeholders within the industry.
Meanwhile, the Minister is expected to return to Cabinet in another six weeks to provide them with a clear direction on the role of Government in the sugar industry.
“The chairman has already begun to engage stakeholders in relation to their views on the matter and to determine whether the focus should be on research or as a mediator or facilitator between manufacturer and farmer,” he said.
