Green to appoint independent team to review JAS election processes

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Floyd Green is to appoint a five-member independent commission to review the electoral processes of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) whose annual general meeting (AGM) and presidential election have been stalled. 

The ministry said Green summoned JAS executives to a meeting today to explore the issues regarding the organisation's AGM, election processes and the various court actions that have been filed alleging procedural breaches.

One of the outcomes of the talks is the establishment of the review team which is to provide recommendations on the way forward. 

"The commission will engage various stakeholders including the staff of the JAS and is expected to conclude its work over the next eight weeks. The relevant parties also agreed that the that the commission will be allowed to undertake its work unimpeded and in a spirit of unity, as it strives to find an amicable solution that is in the best interest of the organisation and the farmers served by it," the ministry said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, the ministry is to fast-track the implementation of the transitional plan for the JAS to deal with some of the structural challenges facing the organisation.

"The parties also agreed that the entire focus of the organisation over the next few weeks will be on producing the best ever Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, and that the various parish branches would be fully mobilised. The ministry is assuring our over 240,000 farmers that it will continue to work with the JAS to ensure that their interests are being served," the statement added. 

The JAS is being sued by one of its affiliates, the Westmoreland Association of Branch Societies against its board of directors. 

The case stems from an injunction filed by Ian Hill, a member of the Westmoreland Association of Branch Societies, to have the nominations for the positions of president, first vice-president and second vice-president reopened, contending that the nominations which were opened in October 2021 and closed in November 2021 were not in keeping with the provisions of the organisation's constitution.

Three candidates are in the race to replace the incumbent Lenworth Fulton.

Second vice-president Owen Dobson, who heads the Westmoreland Association of Branch Societies, Albert Green, president of the Kingston and St Andrew Association of Branch Societies and Fabian Rhule, president of the St Mary Association of Branch Societies are the three contenders. 

In 2022,  the Government served notice of its intention to offload the JAS from its coffers in May this year. That has not happened. +

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