The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

FARMERS should find ways of generating income rather than simply relying on Government cash, says one minister.

Agriculture Minister V. Alfred Gray’s comments came during his tour of the Arawak Cay and Potter’s Cay dock areas yesterday.

Asked about the economic state of the produce exchange, the minister said: “I’m not unhappy with the amount of things being sold because I know the Government spends millions of dollars to buy what the farmers produce.

“Some people are complaining that the farmers can only get $9,000 or thereabouts a year per farmer, but the Government was never meant to do everything for everyone because it cannot.

“The ceiling which we set at $9,000 was set because there are hundreds of farmers. If you have 1,000 farmers and each gets $9,000 you’re talking about $9m.”

Mr Gray said it wasn’t easy to satisfy everybody’s economic appetite, which was why the Government encouraged farmers to find ways to supplement that income.

He said: “If we buy $9,000 worth of your produce and another private company buys $15,000 you’re looking at some $24,000.

“Sometimes because of the ease with which they make money from the government, they are satisfied to let the government buy from them.”

The minister said he wanted to get together with people to find other ways to increase income. He suggested the Food Security Programme could also be enhanced by the production and sale of produce.