OPPOSITION spokesman on agriculture, mining and natural resource use, JC Hutchinson has criticised Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke for offering “nothing new” in his recent sectoral debate contribution.

“I was really expecting him to present projects or programmes that were not a carry over from the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) Government,” Hutchinson told the House of Representatives Wednesday as he made his contribution to the debate.

“All the projects– Irish potato, ginger, turmeric, irrigation, sugar housing, Agro Parks, small ruminant, fisheries — are all continuing projects from either the former PNP (People’s National Party) Government or the former JLP government. I congratulate him for continuing these projects, but I was hoping for something more,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson also accused the Government of introducing counter-productive taxes, which were inhibiting the growth potential of the agricultural sector. He said that General Consumption Tax (GCT) and customs duties for agricultural items have curtailed the ability of farmers to access agricultural inputs.

“The GCT and fees collected at the port, are much less than the foreign exchange that would be earned and the added production that would be achieved, if they were removed,” Hutchinson said. He said that if recent increases in property taxes could not be delayed, as the Opposition had demanded, the Government should be implemented over a five-year period.

“This one-lick is counterproductive for agriculture. The farmer who has saved his money to improve his farm or invest in farming, now has to use all of it to pay property tax, which causes a curtailment of the export earnings that could accrue from such an investment,” Hutchinson claimed.

Hutchinson also took the minister of agriculture to task for what he said was “some of his misleading statements in Parliament”.

“I am imploring the minister to cease and desist from misleading the house and the country with some of his statements. It does not auger well when we have confrontational arguments on matters that are not factual,” he said.