BUSINESS MONDAY: Make agriculture a priority: Worrell

“Place agriculture on the front burner!”

That’s the plea from Vice President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and its Spokesperson on Agriculture and the Environment, Andre Worrell.

Worrell made the call as the country gears up for the advent of the foreign-based Haywire party event, which is scheduled to bring scores of visitors to the island.

“This Mottley-led administration continues to look to tourism as the way out of this economic slump we are currently in. But this has already proven to be an economic recovery plan which we cannot control,” he noted.

Worrell maintained that Barbados can build a sustainable resilient agricultural sector, if the Government would invest in the sector at the same level it has invested in tourism.

“When it comes to agriculture, one wonders why many struggling farmers cannot get cash incentives up front, to boost production in the sector?” the former Senator queried.

Worrell, who is the DLP’s candidate for the St. John constituency as well, commended the Government for intervening to maintain the feed prices at current levels. This $2 million-dollar incentive was offered directly to the main feed suppliers, but Worrell believes some type of cash support should have been given directly to the farmers.

“The subsidy to the feed suppliers will help the farmers maintain their current costs, but why can’t struggling farmers receive direct cash incentives to help them clear their debt burden?” he remarked.

He said the productive capacity of farmers in Barbados is hindered by high debt burdens and cash flow constraints and he referenced complaints from dairy farmers about high water bills.

“Merchants were offered forgiveness for VAT, which they collected and did not pay to the Treasury. Why can’t Government alleviate the water bills of the people who feed the nation? Assistance should also be provided to farmers with water harvesting ponds, solar-powered pumps and proper irrigation for their fields,” the DLP’s Spokesperson on Agriculture further commented.

Worrell meanwhile maintained that agriculture needs to be prioritised, since it is an obvious avenue for long-term employment and it is the only industry which can significantly reduce our food import bill and the haemorrhage of vital foreign exchange.