Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff ReporterIf things work out as planned, farmers should be able to finally benefit from a promised $70 million fertiliser subsidy early this week.
John Allen, managing director of Newport Fersan, which is to receive the cheque from the Government on behalf of the farmers, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday that the agreement would be formalised tomorrow.
"We met at the Ministry of Agriculture on Friday with the permanent secretary and finalised an agreement to be signed on Monday," said Allen.
"Thereafter, everything will be in place for the farmers to benefit," he added.
Farmers have been disgruntled that the multimillion-dollar fertiliser subsidy, announced by the Govern-ment more than two weeks ago, is yet to take effect.
One farmer, John Reid of Bull Savannah in St Elizabeth, says the subsidy will assist as he is preparing agricultural produce for the Easter season.
"I want to see what it can do for us as farmers and how beneficial it can be for us," he says.
Agriculture Minister, Dr Chris-topher Tufton, said recently that contractual arrangements had to be completed with Newport Fersan before farmers would be able to benefit from the subsidy.
Dr Tufton pleaded with farmers to be patient and said the subsidy should take effect by late this week.
Money allocated
"The process is taking place, the money is allocated, the document is prepared and an audit is taking place in regards to inventory and it will take a few days more to complete," he said.
Nevertheless, the Christiana Potato Growers Co-operative Association Limited has begun to sell fertiliser at a depreciated price.
Since last Wednesday, a bag of high-grade fertiliser has been sold from its offices for $2,700, decreased from $3,000.
Alvin Murray, general manager of the association, said they are willing to offset the cost to farmers until the subsidy takes effect.
"We don't think the Government would have made an announcement and not fulfil it," he added.
The fertiliser subsidy is timely for potato farmers, Murray said, as the planting season intensifies during February into March.
The $70 million subsidy will be applied to 12,000 tonnes of fertiliser, based on current prices. This 12,000 tonnes of fertiliser is expected to last until March, based on past buying patterns.
