Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has outlined plans for a comprehensive farmer-registration programme.

Tufton, in his debut presentation in the 2008/09 Budget Debate on April 16, explained that the Agricultural Business Information System (ABIS) would allow the Government to know who the farmers were, where they were, and what they were producing.

"This information must be used as a basis to plan for the development of the sector," he said.

Issues of the drive

To date, some 97,000 farmers have registered with the ABIS.

Tufton said a registration drive is to be launched shortly and would involve:

Engaging the Electoral Office of Jamaica to use its infrastructure and offices in each constituency as registration centres.

Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) extension officers and the Jamaica Agricultural Society are signing up farmers in the field.

RADA waiving the $300 registration charge for one year.

Issuing identification badges to registered farmers.

Rolling out of a public relations campaign.

The minister said "those farmers who ignore or refuse to comply, cannot be guaranteed benefits from Government programmes."