The special subsidy on livestock feed introduced by the Department of Agriculture in the wake of Hurricane Ivan will end 28 October.
‘The sale of half-priced livestock feed has been a key part of government’s Agriculture Sector Assistance Programme designed to help farmers recover and rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan,’ Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer Dr. Alfred Benjamin said in a press release.
‘Low cost feed has been a tremendous help to farmers faced with feed shortages caused by salt water damage to pastures and by the lack of rainfall in the months immediately following Ivan.
‘With feed supplies returning to more normal levels as pastures recover in the rainy season, the crisis is past and this component of the programme will be the first to be phased out.’
Since its introduction in February this year, farmers have purchased approximately 60,000 bags (more than three million pounds) of livestock feed at a special rate under the programme. This has meant a direct financial saving to farmers of more than CI $175,250, the release said.
The DoA has further announced that feed prices will return to pre-Ivan levels after October, ensuring that farmers will continue to receive the benefit of a government subsidy on livestock feed.
Purchasing feed from the department passes savings onto farmers who pay only the cost for the feed plus a portion of the freight and direct expenses, but who avoid overhead costs related to sales, storage and distribution.
‘Additionally, the department will be maintaining these prices for at least the remainder of the year, despite significant increases in freight and transportation costs,’ said Dr. Benjamin.
The special 50 per cent subsidies on fertilizers and fencing materials will continue until 2 December. Other remaining service components of the ASAP, including assistance to farmers for fence restoration, land clearing and tree crop rehabilitation will remain until the end of the year.
‘The winding down of the ASAP signals the completion of one phase of the agriculture sector’s reconstruction process,’ concluded Dr. Benjamin. ‘The department looks forward to the challenges of working with the farming community to not only bring agriculture back to what it was, but to engage in a strategic redevelopment process to bring the sector to its full economic potential.’
Pullout:
‘The sale of half-priced livestock feed has been a key part of government’s Agriculture Sector Assistance Programme designed to help farmers recover and rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan.’
– Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer Dr. Alfred Benjamin
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