Boost for ailing dairy industry, crop farmers

Dairy farmers under financial strain amid declining milk production have been targeted to get financial aid from the government amid a raft of measures to boost food production announced in the Budget on Monday.

Declaring that over the past decade, milk production had “suffered badly”, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said the dairy industry now needed a four-fold climate-smart agricultural intervention to turn it around to increase output and exports.

She disclosed that assistance will be rendered in several areas.

• Rebate on cow purchases raised from 50 per cent (max $4 000) to 80 per cent (max $6 400) per cow, costing $2.048 million
• $1,000 incentive per young heifer for stock replenishment 
• 45 per cent rebate on hay purchases for three years 
• Rebate on establishing pasture lands increased from $202 to $1 000 per acre 
• 60 per cent rebate (max $40 000) on forage harvesters, trailers, and other harvesting equipment   
• Rebate for infrastructure repair increased from 25 per cent (max $60 000) to 40 per cent (max $600 000) 
• 60 per cent rebate (max $60 000) for upgrading to innovative and digital technologies 

“I hope that this will give the dairy industry strength again and we have signals that there is the potential for a serious export market again, but we do not have the supply of milk in the country. This is critical,” Prime Minister Mottley said.

The measures are a means of achieving the targets of importing 320 climate-resilient cows to increase milk output by 50 per cent and to restart exports by the end of this year; increasing feeding to optimal levels in the short term to improve productivity per cow and producing a combination of feed concentrate and highly nutritious forages among others.

Mottley also disclosed that the government was working to enhance water solutions for the farmers through the Farmers Empowerment and Enfranchisement Drive (FEED) programme.

“The Barbados Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) will be expanding the irrigation networks in conjunction with the Barbados Water Authority to include pump houses and distribution piping at Wakefield, I met with the farmers there, promise made, promise being delivered to you,” she said, pointing to farming areas in Spencers, Christ Church; Bath, St John and St Lucy’s Mount Poyer and Spring Hall estates.

“The cost of this water works will be $4.6 million, and the money will be provided to the BADMC who will contract the Barbados Water Authority for the benefit of those farmers.

“As part of the debt for climate swap currently being negotiated with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Green Climate Fund and the European Investment Bank, the Water Infrastructure for Food Security at River in St Philip will be one of the key climate adaptation measures,” the finance minister added.
(FW)