The Ministry of Agriculture says it has put in place certain procedures for farmers to get vegetable seeds donated by the Indian government because they want to make the process as transparent as possible.
The Ministry has come out with this comment after the National Federation Party released a statement saying the stringent requirements required by the Ministry of Agriculture in order for agricultural and subsistence farmers to qualify for vegetable seeds is yet another painful reminder of the government’s bureaucratic and dictatorial policy.
NFP’s Leader Professor Biman Prasad says farmers who need only a few grams of seeds to re-establish their gardens are being made to fill out a two-page form which requires them to give their birth certificate, FNPF card or TIN number, a passport-sized photo, a copy of their land or lease title and for vakavanua lessees, a consent letter from their Turaga ni mataqali.
Prasad says this is adding insult to injury of victims of Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston who are struggling to feed their families.
When contacted this afternoon, the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture Jitendra Singh highlighted that it is absolutely necessary to establish whether people have land to plant the seeds and this is why they have put in place certain requirements.
He says there have been cases in the past where farmers have taken the seeds and have sold it as they do not have land to plant it.
He says the five tonnes of vegetable seeds that the Indian Government has donated will be distributed to farmers around the country as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Singh also confirms that they have advised the Indian High Commission about the process involved in seed distribution.
He says they have not received any complaints in relation to the distribution of seeds from any official agency.
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