(Trinidad Express) Cabinet yesterday approved a new policy to lend assistance to all farmers—crops, livestock and fisherfolk—who are affected by natural disasters.
Speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj said over the years farmers have cried out that the compensation offered by Government for the loss of their crops were inadequate for the damages suffered.
However, he stressed that the new policy is not one of compensation but assistance and will be expanded to include livestock farmers and fisherfolk.
“This assistance is not a right of the farmers or fisherfolk, it is an option of the Ministry of the Food Production to be exercised on a case by case basis,” said Maharaj.
“This assistance is not compensation. To be eligible for this assistance, farmers and fisherfolk must be registered with the Ministry of Food Production, we know there are a lot of unregistered farmers out there but they can avail themselves at the various offices of the Ministry of Food Production,” he added.
The assessment of the claims, he said, will be done by the extension officers and the fishery officers of the ministry.
He said further that the calculation of the claims will be made on a scientific disaster model developed by the Ministry of Food Production and the University of the West Indies.
Maharaj said claims will not be entertained where the farmers plots are in flood-prone areas or forest reserves.
