By Balford Henry, News Editor 
Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) president A.A. Bobby Pottinger addressing members of the Society's board at yesterday's meeting at their Church Street head office, Kingston. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
THE JAMAICA Agricultural Society (JAS) is still awaiting funds from the $40 million allocated to the farmers' body in the 2002/2003 budget.
"We haven't received any money and we are seeking an urgent meeting with (Minister of Agriculture) Roger Clarke and (Minister of Finance) Omar Davies to get this thing going," JAS president A.A. Bobby Pottinger told the society's monthly board meeting, yesterday.
Mr. Pottinger said that in previous years the society would get tranches of the allocation from as early as April. He said that the situation was now critical with no funds forthcoming.
The situation has been made even more crucial with the JAS going ahead with plans to employ a new CEO at a salary of some $2.5 million, as well as other staff in order to reorganise its management.
The new CEO, Patrick Anderson, was presented to the board at yesterday's meeting. He told the board that he intended to proceed towards meeting performance targets set by them, but pointed out that this could not be achieved without the necessary resources.
The farmers are still clamouring for the Government to speedily provide financing for the implementation of their Agricultural Development Fund (ADF).
The Fund, which was originally planned to be financed by a cess levied on imported agricultural goods, suffered a setback in April when the Government failed to budget the $100 million it had promised the JAS to finance it and rejected the proposal for the cess. Instead, the JAS was allocated $17.7 million in the budget, which was later increased to $40 million after farmers criticised the original allocation.
The Fund was planned to facilitate the implementation of: the National Praedial Larceny Control Programme; a cost-effective, self-sustaining Tractor (Tillage) Service, as well as the establishment of a Centralised Marketing System that would service exporters and domestic outlets and assist the JAS to significantly build its (administrative) capacity to undertake a co-ordinated farmer group extension/marketing and technology transfer programme.
Mr. Pottinger told The Gleaner yesterday that the JAS had ratified a draft of the Produce Act, which is central to the proposed anti-praedial larceny programme, and sent it back to the Ministry of Agriculture.
He said that, in the meantime, the society is going ahead with printing the receipt books which will be required by farmers under the Act and to set up parish committees to monitor the provisions.
He noted that Mr. Clarke had undertaken to have the Act in effect within three months, when he addressed their annual general meeting in July, and the society was still holding him to this deadline.
Mr. Pottinger said too that he will be calling sector meetings of the JAS to discuss the issue of property tax which, he said, is still a matter of grave concern to the farmers.
He said that the 50 per cent relief offered by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson was not beneficial to most farmers and that the matter would have to be dealt with this week.
Mr. Patterson had announced in mid-August a 50 per cent de-rating on new property tax assessments of agricultural lands, where the land is being substantially used for agriculture. But, Mr. Pottinger admitted that while the move was welcomed, it was not enough.
