Campbell urges disaster recovery fund for agri/fisheries sectors

OPPOSITION spokesman on agriculture and fisheries Dr Dayton Campbell is calling for the establishment of a permanent Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Recovery Fund that will provide relief to farmers and fishers impacted by natural hazards and other severe weather events.

Campbell, who is also the Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, made the call on Tuesday during his contribution to the sectoral debate in the House of Representatives.

“This fund should not be created after every hurricane, flood, drought, or major weather event. It should not depend on hurried Cabinet submissions after farmers and fishermen/women have already lost everything. It should not depend on whether the Ministry of Finance is moved by the latest disaster,” said Campbell.

He added that it should be a standing national fund, financed every year through the national budget, and ready to be activated immediately when a disaster affects the agriculture or fisheries sectors.

“The country already knows that Jamaica is exposed to hurricanes, droughts, floods, landslides, storm surge, disease outbreaks, and other climate-related events. We cannot continue to respond to predictable risks with improvised systems,” he argued.

According to Campbell, agriculture and fisheries are too important to national food security for the Government to start planning after the damage has already been done.

“The Government ought to take a proactive and not a reactive approach,” he insisted, explaining that a permanent fund would allow the country to move from reaction to readiness.

“It would allow the Government to provide timely support to farmers and fishers without waiting months for special allocations, supplementary budgets, or emergency appeals,” he said.

The Opposition spokesman told the Parliament that to ensure operational readiness and oversight, the activation of the fund should be guided by clear criteria. For example, the fund would be automatically triggered when a disaster — such as a hurricane, flood, drought, or other extreme event — results in agricultural or fisheries damage above a defined threshold, as confirmed by agencies like the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management or the relevant ministry. He explained that by having specific thresholds and protocols in place, producers can have greater confidence that when disasters strike, support will be delivered promptly and predictably through a known mechanism.

Declaring that the fund should have five clear purposes, Campbell said it should provide emergency grants to small farmers and fishers who suffer verified losses. A farmer who loses crops should not be treated the same as a farmer who loses livestock, irrigation equipment, greenhouse infrastructure, or farm buildings; and a fisher who loses traps should not be treated the same as a fisher who loses an engine, a boat, or all fishing gear.

Additionally, the fund should support the replacement of critical productive assets. For farmers, this should include tools, irrigation systems, water tanks, fencing, greenhouse materials, livestock housing, farm equipment, seedlings, seeds, fertiliser, animal feed, livestock medication, and planting material. For fishers, this should include boats, engines, nets, traps, safety gear, coolers, storage containers, and other equipment needed to return to sea safely and legally.

He also recommended that the fund provide temporary livelihood support to farmers and fishers whose incomes are disrupted. Additionally, it should support rapid replanting and restocking.

Campbell added that the fund should support affordable insurance for small farmers and fishers, including parametric insurance for hurricanes, droughts, and excessive rainfall.

He said that for the fund to succeed, it must be properly structured, transparent, and trusted by the people it is meant to serve.

“It cannot become another vague programme dependent on discretion, delay, or political influence. It must operate according to clear rules, clear timelines, and clear accountability,” he said.

Campbell said further that there must be published eligibility criteria. In this regard, farmers and fishers must know who qualifies, what losses are covered, what documents are required, and what forms of support are available.

“The public must also know whether assistance will take the form of grants, subsidies, loans, or a combination of these measures. The process must be simple, accessible, and humane,” he said.