By LEISELLE MARAJ Monday, September 28 2009

AGRICULTURAL Society President Dhano Sookoo yesterday called on government to rethink their proposals for property tax on agriculture lands given the undeveloped state of the sector.

She addressed over 1,000 farmers at the 2009 National Farmers’ Forum held at the Macoya Wholesale and Farmers’ Market.

Sookoo called on government to leave the current tax structure in place rather than classify agricultural lands as commercial or real estate property as proposed by the new property tax regime.

“We must pay cognisance to the fact that the agriculture sector is not yet developed and at this point cannot be further burdened with increased taxation, when we are already battling with so many other challenges. In times like this, where making local foods available and affordable to all our people is of utmost importance, we must ensure that we present the proper policy framework conducive to the development process, if we are to achieve any level of success in bringing about the changes needed in the sector,” she said.

After her address, Sookhoo said farmers are currently taxed $5000 for each acre of land owned and is expecting the new regime to increase the total paid by each farmer. She added that this would affect the price of locally grown produce which is already affected by other production costs.

Sookoo called on farmers to take action in order to improve the sector.

“In overcoming the challenges in the agriculture sector and charting the course forward, we must immediately stop focussing on the problems but implement solutions that are needed. We must stop committing ourselves by great speeches but rather demonstrate our commitment by showing true willingness to get the job done. We must now take the bull by its horns and run with it,”she said.

She commended government for listening to the farmers’ pleas to improve the sector as evidenced by measures announced in the budget and called for the State to ensure these measures are implemented.

“After decades of neglect to the sector, today we can now hold our heads high while we continue this journey. We are no longer the forgotten part of society. We can certainly say that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there is indeed a silver lining to be reached over dark clouds,” she said.

Chief Co-ordinator of the Caribbean Agricultural Farmers Network(CAFAN), Jethro Greene was the guest speaker at the event and urged farmers to think of agriculture as a business and to lead the charge of getting the people of the region to purchase and use food produced in the Caribbean.

He said that the call should not be for cheaper food but for more affordable food to ensure healthy food is not wasted or taken for granted.