GOVERNMENT HAS doubled its support this year to farmers who are in the process of establishing orchards.

This financial year, the Ministry of Agriculture will be assisting 200 farmers to establish between 400 and 450 hectares of orchard, which is expected to generate employment for more than 1,500 persons.

J.C. Hutchinson, junior minister for agriculture, during his contribution to the 2008-2009 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, said the Government was providing $25 million in support through seedlings and land preparation.

Grants

He told members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday that grants would be made to 100 farmers who were developing orchards on a total of 220 hectares of land.

"The programme is so structured that one who wants to go into orchard cultivation will be provided with seedlings of the non-traditional crops such as June plum, guava, naseberry, ackee, sweetsop, soursop, jackfruit, apple and cashew," Hutchinson said.

He said the seedlings would be distributed free of cost and each farmer given $25,000 per acre, up to five acres, to assist with inputs and preparation of the land.