Agriculture Minister and Head of ONR to Tour Farms

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR), Danville Walker; Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke and representatives from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and Agro Grace, will tour farms in St. Elizabeth and Manchester to observe the extent and pace of the recovery since Hurricane Ivan.
The tour takes place next Wednesday, November 24. A similar exercise will be conducted the following week, to observe the progress on farms in St. Andrew.
Communications Liaison in the ONR, Tracey Hamilton told JIS News that the private sector company, Agro Grace, was particularly interested in the progress of the local farming community, and would seek to get first hand knowledge of how well the sector was recovering, and its ability to handle the increased demand for agricultural products in the upcoming Christmas season.
Following the tours, Miss Hamilton said that Agro Grace would be hosting an Open Day at its head office on Spanish Town Road, on December 11, for farmers and the wider public.
The Open Day at Agro Grace, she said, would feature displays and cover important topics, such as good farming techniques, disease control, fertilizers and other relevant farming issues.
Commenting on assistance in the post-Ivan recovery effort, Miss Hamilton told JIS News that on November 17, the RBTT Bank, through its Managing Director, Amrit Sinanan, donated $15.5 million to the ONR.
The ONR was formed after the passage of Hurricane Ivan, to spearhead and anchor the programmes and activities necessary for full and expeditious national recovery.