Farmers Didn’t Ask to Be Paid

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Director of Agriculture, Lealao Melila Purcell, has clarified that it wasn’t the Farmers Cooperative who sought payment for their participation in the Flag Day Farm and Trade Fair.

KHJ News quoted Governor Lolo Moliga saying that the Farmers Co-op had submitted a proposal seeking payment for farmers who will bring their corps and vegetables to the fair.

The governor said he flatly rejected  the proposal.

Lolo said the government was paying for tents, tables and chairs for the fair and all the farmers had to do was bring their corps and sell them to make money.

But DOA Director Lealao says the farmers are not to be blamed.

He explained that all of the committees for Flag Day had been told to submit proposals for funding to the main Flag Day Committee.

He said the idea of seeking compensation for the farmers was to give them a little financial help and to boost their morale which was at an all time low due to changes in bidding of local produce for the School Lunch Program. 

Lealao commented the farmers no longer had any interest in events such as the Trade and Farm Fair.

He said the few farmers who have been awarded contracts have not been paid.

Nevertheless Lealao said a few Coop members brought crops to the Trade and Farm Fair.

In his opinion the proposal to pay the farmers was a way to appease and help them as they have been hard hit with the changes in the bidding for the School Lunch Program.

The Agriculture Director said it was unfair for the farmers to be blamed when it was the Farm Fair Committee which had made the proposal.

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