Farm work overhaul
Samuda cites too few new recruits; jobseekers being given ‘false hope’ every year
Published:Wednesday | April 28, 2021 | 12:30 AMRomario Scott/Gleaner Writer
“Something is not right with the programme!”
That was the assertion made by Labour and Social Security Minister Karl Samuda Tuesday afternoon as he insisted that the popular farm work programme is to be ploughed and relaid.
Disclosing in his Sectoral Debate presentation in Parliament that fewer than 10 per cent of the cohort enrolled in the programme were new participants, Samuda expressed worry that there was little renewal in the system.
“In other words, simply put, existing workers on the programme are the ones that are most desired by the farmers (overseas) and there is really little we can do to change that, because they have become accustomed to working on the farms and every year, they request their team of farmers,” Samuda said.
For instance, in 2020, in Canada, a total of 8,071 workers were employed through the programme. Of that number, only 794 were new.
“So, at the rate we are going, there is no renewal of the pool,” Samuda contended.
Samuda said the programme is giving jobseekers false hope.
He said the ministry had been distributing more than 4,000 cards but was only a small portion of that number was invited to enrol in the programme.
“In 2019, 4,643 cards were distributed to members of parliament, etc, and of that total, they only took up 794. So, I ask myself, why this drama about distributing cards?” Samuda disclosed.
“That situation does not make any sense!”
In further scrutinising the figures, Samuda picked out Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ recommendation, disclosing that only 13 of the more than 100 offered were accepted into the programme.
Samuda said he did not intend to continue giving “false hope”.
Consequently, the minister said all farm work cards issued in September are being withdrawn and will be redistributed to the sitting members of parliament.
“We want a pool of 3,000 to 3,500 persons recommended by the members of parliament,” he told Parliament.
Samuda said going forward, almost all persons seeking to enrol in the programme would have been recommended by a member of parliament.
“Every member of parliament will have a set of people in that pool, and we will carefully devise a system that ensures equity,” Samuda told Parliament.