Farmers’ grants to continue with new cash
(CNS): Around 400 commercial farmers across the Cayman Islands will continue to get a government grant until the end of November now that $500,000 has been earmarked for Phase 2 of the programme from an additional $3 million that was voted for during the recent Finance Committee meeting to help the agriculture sector.
The Cayman Islands Farmers Assistance and Relief Measures programme is a direct support scheme where farmers receive a voucher card to be topped up over the three month period, which they can use to buy livestock feed, fertilizers, pesticides and other essential agricultural inputs from the Department of Agriculture.
Since the grants started, over 1,500 members of the farming community have benefited from the relief measures.
Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks said government is committed to supporting farmers and strengthening the islands’ food and nutrition security. “The additional funds of close to half a million dollars which we have allocated for this phase of the farmers’ relief measures programme to assist commercial farmers is further indication of our intention to provide the support and resources that are needed.”
However, earlier this year Ebanks announced he was cancelling the programme as support for the farmers was going to be reviewed. That move was sharply criticised by the opposition, who accused the new agriculture minister of flip-flopping on support for the sector.
But in the wake of Tropical Storm Grace, the PACT Government made a commitment to farmers across the community to help them rebuild and last week voted for extra cash to be appropriated to help the agriculture sector.
For information on this programme, call the DoA at 947-3090.
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Category: Agriculture, Business
Why such hatred for people trying to join the farming community? It’s much needed here considering the large importation of food and rising issues in the global supply chain. Or, do you prefer to import everything as usual?
To be fair they are farming – they are farming the subsidies. Even if there are 400 claimants, at $3.5 million that’s nearly $9k a piece. Hell, if you can snag the stipend as well, that’s not bad for doing absolutely nothing (other than voting the right way in 4 years time).
The Minister of Agriculture doesn’t realise that handling scotch bonnets with bare hands is not a good idea? Unlike the chap selling them!
Deduct $100 for every parrot the trigger happy farmers shoot…
Most these farmers are good ole boys. However we need to ensure that they are not growing anything we wouldn’t want them to be growing behind closed doors because that would be dangerous.
This complete F@#kery!
There may be 40 farmers, there are definitely not 400.
Believe it or not there are plenty backyard farmers since March 22, 2020 and its more than 40 farmers thats for sure and its growing rapidly
This is another “free money” scam! I know people who are collecting this stipend as “farmers” just for having a few vegetables in their backyards!
Can someone enlighten me as to what they grow? Obviously not the stuff I buy in the shops which is astronomical in price!
Some people can watch people sweating everyday, twice a day watering plants. String peas, transplanting baby seedling to larger plants. Placing cover so they don’t get burnt in the sun. People who can do this everyday love plants and spend their own money. We don’t go out hardly anymore. It’s so hot by 11:00 am in the morning she’s done. My wife comes back out to water plants and add some more seeds. She loves it, it reminds her of home, the Philippines, she married me a Caymanian over 20 years ago. My blood pressure gets high from bending down and the sun of course is hot. It’s easier to do it in the winter. We’re in Spotts Newlands, when we moved here we have been planting. We lost some fruit trees, like breadfruit, starfruit, Jamaican apple etc. The problem is we have given permission to people to get a few fruits from the neighborhood but when other people see it then don’t come and ask. They steal the fruits, one fellow was doing it everyday until My wife got mad and said she would film him and report him to the police.
We lost these trees and seeds from Hurricane Grace, she would also like to get the opportunity to get help with purchasing the better seeds and fertilizer
Trying to understand if this includes the “backyard farmers” as well.
It does include all our politicians, senior civil servants and others practicing as hobby farmers in their spare time, who do not need relief measures but help themselves anyway.
1. Growing what you eat (and could sell) is nothing new to Cayman (and indeed the rest of the world throughout history).
2. The fact that politicians, civil servants and genuine hobby farmers (not the scammers) are among those persons that grow what they eat/sell should NOT be discriminated against or looked down upon.
3. The key is to root-out the scammers which would is not hard if there was an objective method of doing so – don’t rely solely on the Department of Agriculture, Step 1.
So your view is that people doing it as a hobby rather than a livelihood should have their hoby subsidized by the tax payer? So we should give all our amateur fisherman subsidies as well – free line, hooks, perhaps gas. Seems to e the same argument – traditional hobby, you eat what you catch but may sell a bit on the side.
You know better
There are serious farmers in Cayman that do much more than that
For whatever reason, you are sore and bent one way!
There are some good reasons to be sore. I have been here about 30 years and I know there have always been crooks among the “leadership”……….
Just like most everywhere else!
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10:02am I think you should re-read 5:01am comments again.
Those comments were in response to the comments about “politicians, senior civil servants and… practising as hobby farmers”. These comments argue that those individuals should not be looked down upon – NOT that they should receive subsidies!
Geez!
“Rooting-out the scammers” deals with eligibility for subsidies.
Handout capital of the world
Why are you having kittens, because the government is trying to assist the farmers.
No! It’s because it is just another form of vote buying! Are you one of the recipients? If so, tell us how profitable it is! We won’t tell.
I can think of more practical, sustainable ways government could spend our money to promote and support local farming. Handouts won’t help long term.
It’s the Macbeater rules of staying in power.
Give the people enough handouts that they overlook your shenanigans.
Where is the justification for this ? They can plant and sell merchandise . How is Covid negatively affecting them !? It’s pure politicking.
We have 400 commercial farmers! Where do they live?
In single member constituencies.
Where do they farm?
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Don’t ask!
Most of them probably farm in their back yard, but some have potted plants inside.
1:45, the same place as the still increasing number of seamen live it would appear, the Land of Handouts. There seem to be more seamen and dependents now than there were when we actually did go to sea a long long time ago. And now we have a large number of “farmers”.