Govt honours payment to farmers

Commenting on the issue in the Senate on Wednesday, Robinson- Regis explained that the former People’s Partnership (PP) regime agreed by Cabinet minute of August 4, 2015,” to the payment of the sum of $57,965,675 to cane farmers as the final settlement to the 2007 transitional payment out of the sugar industry.” She explained this sum is the equivalent of eight million euros received from the European Union (EU) for payment to cane farmers.

Robinson-Regis said the Direct Cane Farmers Delivery Group and the Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers Association agreed last September to the compensation package that was offered.

She stated that under this package, 2,324 cane farmers are eligible to receive,”an amount equal to 53 percent of the sum of tranches two and three.” According to Robinson- Regis, “In this compensation to former cane farmers, the highest money value is a little over $500,000 and the minimum or lowest payment is $12,000.” She added, “It is in keeping with the previous agreement that depends on the value of the cane farmer production.” The minister said payments of $12,000; between $12,000 and $100,000; between $100,001 and $200,000; $200,001 and $300,000; $400,001 and $500,000 and $500,001 and $600,001 were made to 644; 1,638; 34, six; one and one farmers, respectively.

She explained this, “makes it a total of $84,965,675 in addition to the already paid sum of $82,111,774 paid to cane farmers in 2007.” Robinson-Regis said to date cheques have been prepared for 97 cane farmers which amounts to $2, 413,306. Indicating that payment to cane farmers continues daily, Robinson-Regis said although the Cane Farmers Association of TT (CFATT) and Cane Farmers Co-operative Society (CFCS) have taken legal action, this does not debar individual farmers from coming into the ministry and accepting the payments.

While the eight million EU grant was not intended to be a cash payment to cane farmers, Robinson-Regis said the PP agreed in January 2015, that further cash payment be made from the grant.

Having determined that cane farmers had already received a substantial amount of money and many had already transitioned out of the sugar industry, Robinson- Regis said Government decided that the eight million euros be the, “the only amount given in cash to the cane farmers.”