KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chairman of the Jamaica Dairy Development Board, Donald Elvey has sought to clarify media reports relating to aspects of the Mombasa programme noting that the benefit is available to all registered dairy farmers at no cost.

In a release a short while ago, Elvey said the JDDB does not charge farmers for its services as the board’s operations are funded by the cess on imported milk products.”World Trade Organization regulations dictate that you can’t impose a cess on imported products without imposing that tax on local products as well. But when the cess on imported milk products was introduced, it was not meant to negatively impact local farmers. As a result we used the money from the cess to fund these programmes which are offered to registered farmers free of cost,” said Elvey.He added that the board also provides fertilizer and equipment to registered dairy farmers.“500 acres of the grass has been planted on farms across the island at no cost to farmers and the board plans to plant a further 1000 acres,” Elvey further stated, adding that there is no standard demonstration plot size as the grass has been planted on plots of between .5 and 40 acres.He also added that Agriculture Minister Karl Samuda has promoted Mombasa grass to farmers across the length and breadth of the island, resulting in increased awareness and demand for the cultivar.