JAS abandoned core values — Rickards

Saturday, November 07, 2009 5:39 PM

News

JAS abandoned core values - Rickards

BY PATRICK FOSTER, Observer writer fosterp@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, July 04, 2009

JAMAICA Agricultural Society (JAS) presidential candidate Allan Rickards says the organisation has abandoned its core values, and promised to return it to its original function, if elected the new head.

JAS presidential candidate Allan Rickards (centre) introduces Marie Azan (left) and Egbert Miller, members of his team for next Wednesday's elections to be held at the Denbigh showground in Clarendon. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)

Rickards, chairman of the All Island Jamaica Cane Farmers' Association, will do battle with incumbent JAS vice-president Glendon Harris in Denbigh next Wednesday for the leadership of the 114-year-old farmers' group.

Rickards, a JAS board member, yesterday presented former champion farmers Marie Azan and Egbert Miller, also members of the JAS board, as members of his leadership team.

The new president will replace Norman Grant, a senator for the Opposition People's National Party.

Speaking yesterday at a press briefing at the Trevenion Road office of the Sugar Industry Authority in Kingston, Rickards said the JAS was founded on community participation and needed to return to that function in order to be viable.

The JAS presidential candidate told the press briefing - called to outline plans for his campaign - said that the government's subvention to the JAS, which was $88 million this year, could be deployed more efficiently to assist farmers. "It should boost activity in the field. Information to farmers is a premium," he told reporters.

"JAS officers don't have the resources to traverse the parishes in which they are employed," Rickards said, adding that, if elected, his team would specifically address the needs of farmers by reviving the focus that was once placed on communities. "We believe we need to strengthen the parishes," he added.

According to Rickards, young people were being driven away from farming because of the problems associated with the profession.

"Children see their parents suffer and don't want to go into it (farming)," he said. "How can you eat what you grow if there is nobody growing anything?"

The JAS presidential candidate suggested that the organisation engage in "simple" activities to boost income and augment the government's subvention, while assisting the farmers. The supply of farming equipment at concessionary rates was one of the ways he recommended that the JAS could assist farmers.

"They (JAS) will begin to earn an income in little ways. There are numerous ways, not grandiose plans, but small efficient ways," said Rickards, who accused the current leadership of being more interested in public relations than the needs of farmers.

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