Minister for agriculture Yolande Bain- Horsford addressed the concern that agriculture received a reduction in budgetary allocation for 2018.
This year’s budget for the agriculture sector is 24.7 million, as compared to last year’s budget of 27.4 million dollars – a decline of 2.7 million dollars.
Addressing members of the House of Representatives during Wednesday’s budget debate, the minister said those making such claims do not understand the structure of the estimates of revenue and expenditure.
Relying on her calculation, Minister Bain- Horsford said budgetary allocation for agencies such as the Basic Needs Trust Fund which supports agriculture projects amounts to over 40 million dollars.
This, she said, is separate and apart from allocation for the sector in the budget.
The minister said partly responsible for the false perception that not enough is being done to assist farmers may be linked to the ministry being without a Public Relations Officer for some time.
