DIAMOND R, the organic fertiliser that was at the centre of controversy earlier this year is now being distributed locally by Hi-Pro, the agriculture products arm of Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG).

At yesterday’s launch of the distributorship at Hi-Pro’s White Marl, St Catherine outlet, opposition spokesman on agriculture Roger Clarke, who led the crusade against the Government for importing the commodity, yesterday openly welcomed the principals of the US fertiliser company, to the delight of persons in attendance.

Diamond R fertiliser was one of three new product lines introduced yesterday by JBG, the other two being plant treatments from US company Agri-Gro and chemicals from Trinidad-based Caribbean Chemicals.

Early this year, Government, in seeking to import a lower-priced fertiliser, brokered a deal with Diamond R to initially supply 5,000 tonnes of the product for distribution, which ignited a fierce backlash from Clarke and his colleagues from the Opposition People’s National Party.

The former agriculture minister voiced strong concerns about the importation of the fertiliser, charging that it contained untreated human faeces.

And although local testing authorities, the Bureau of Standards and Scientific Research Council, cleared the product, Clarke insisted in Parliament that it was unsafe because of its strong stench.

At yesterday’s launch, Diamond R displayed bags of the fertiliser which managing director of the Caribbean operation Alex Kaminsky disclosed was being distributed in Jamaica by Jamaica Broilers for about three months.

“This set is not as unbearable,” Clarke, who is also a farmer, commented after the launch. “But the first set was as stink as ever,” he added.

In the meantime, Conley Salmon, Jamaica Broilers’ vice-president of marketing, said the company had seen the production of Diamond R fertiliser and explored applications of the product and was satisfied.