OVER 7,000 farmers in Portland and St Mary who suffered loss during last November’s flood rains are to benefit from a $40-million grant provided by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Government had promised $100 million to rehabilitate farmers in both parishes where more than 659 hectares of agricultural lands with crops valued at approximately $600 million were destroyed.

Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) executive director, Albert Shand, informed Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) directors Wednesday at their monthly meeting at the society’s Church Street headquarters in downtown Kingston the money would be disbursed by the end of this month.

Shand later told the Observer “the first tranche of between $30 million and $40 million is ready to be collected this week. All we have to do now is to quickly implement a programme to disburse the funds.”

The flood rains caused a loss of 45,262 heads of livestock valued at approximately $2.2 million and soil erosion and damage to farm roads at a projected cost of $8 million.

Shand was not sure when the second draw down of funds would be made, but emphasised that the grant was not designed to repay farmers for their loss but rather to assist them to make a start to rehabilitate themselves.

“I would like to emphasize that this money is not an insurance to get them (farmers) back on a firm footing, but it is to assist them to make a start.

Last December, Jamaica Broilers donated 10,000 day-old chickens and 30 tonnes of feed to the JAS for distribution to farmers in Portland and St Mary who lost livestock during the flood rains.

Meanwhile, parish representatives complained that RADA officers were not visible on the farms and, as such, farmers were not benefitting from their expertise.

“There is a downturn in the interaction from RADA officers, Mr president,” complained the St Ann parish representative, Egbert Miller. “RADA is not visible in the field. What is happening? Farmers want to know, they want to see them because there is lack of knowledge on the farm out there. Farmers are not seeing them.”

But Shand defended his officers, saying that there was a lack of funds, forcing his office to be very selective of the projects they get involved in.

JAS chairman, Bobby Pottinger, promised to arrange a meeting with government to ask for an increase in RADA’s budget so that officers can effectively serve the farmers.