Government Will Assist Farmers Affected by Any Hurricane – Hutchinson

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says the Government is committed to supporting farmers in the event a hurricane should hit Jamaica.

In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Hutchinson said the Government would assist farmers if they suffer any loss of crops or livestock due to a hurricane.

“We’ve always had a programme where we assist farmers in getting them back on the ground, those that do get damaged,” the Minister added.

He emphasised that assistance is usually channeled through community based organizations, so it is imperative that farmers align themselves to groups to be able to access the help.

“We [at the Ministry] are now looking to have a structure in place where all farmers are a part of an organization. Once you have that, the funds [will be channeled] through the organization where they are able to identify the genuine farmers who have suffered damage,” he explained.

In the meanwhile, Mr. Hutchinson is encouraging all farmers to ensure they are registered for the Agricultural Business Information System (ABIS), because in the event Jamaica is under any hurricane threat, this is the means utilized by the Ministry to put farmers on high alert.