Some farmers are showering praise on Government’s for cutting water rates for agricultural use, noting that the change has brought a better flow to their operations.
The move, which saw the water rates for registered small farmers reduced from $1.80 to $1 per cubic metre, was outlined by Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn during this year’s Financial Statement And Budgetary Proposals. It took effect from April 1.
For James Matthews, the water bill for his two acres of land in Spencers, Christ Church, has dropped from $400 a month to a more manageable $300. He said the savings facilitated spending on other crucial components of farming.
“Out here water is essential for farming. The most important component and issues that farmer usually have out here is water. If you get adequate water and people working, then you good. If you don’t get adequate water, you’re doomed because everything else going up in terms of feed or fertiliser,” he told the DAILY NATION yesterday.
Richardson Shepherd, who also farms at Spencers, said his bill now averaged $50 a month which had benefited his operation.
Easier to manage
Another farmer there who declined to be named also commended the reduction.
“It varies because now I pay $50 for water monthly where before I paid around $110 to $130, and it works out pretty good for me. It’s more economical. I can get more out of the land than before and now we have more mileage out of it,” she said.
At Gibbons, also in Christ Church, farmer Harry Harinarine Ramassar said the ease in rates had made it easier to manage seven plots of farmland.
“It is working out because
that $1.80 was killing us. Now it’s about $2 000 a month and before it was about $5 000 to $6 000 a month.
This helps bring it back and you can work a little more land now. You can buy a little more spray, a little more fertiliser, you can wet a little more land properly,” he said.
Another farmer at Gibbons, Sham Karamchan-Ramivarin, while giving the decrease a thumbs-up, expressed a desire for a similar adjustment to the prices of feed, fertiliser and other materials.
“The decrease has been beneficial but the ongoing issues plaguing farmers [include] unfriendly weather conditions and increasing price of manure, feed and fertiliser. Where more people would be glad is if the Government can sell them at a lower cost.
“Fertiliser was $63, $70 and $80 and now fertiliser is about $200. And you’re not always going to get back that money up front. Tomato seeds are nearly $500 and early this year, when the rain fell, I lost up to half of my tomatoes and a half-acre of watermelon when the ground flooded,” he added. (JRN)
