ADC seeing better times

The financial situation at the government-run Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) at Diamonds Estate, has improved significantly, according to Chairman of the Board, Randy Baltimore.
ADC produces mainly food for the local market and also acts as a support system for farmers.
“The situation has improved drastically, no worker will be displaced and we are up-to-date with the payment of all salaries, so the situation has improved,”  Baltimore said.
He also explained that the operation at ADC will be further enhanced through a partnership that was launched yesterday between the Ministry of Agriculture and the People’s Republic of China.
The Chinese government will be providing
technical assistance to the local agricultural industry through a number of projects. The ADC will manage the project which will run for a three-year period.
“We will increase our production because the Chinese will also be assisting us with more modernised equipment in terms of planting and harvesting,” Baltimore said.
The chairman also indicated that Agriculture Minister, Dean Jonas, committed to ensuring the facility will be kept financially stable.
During 2016, the corporation sent home a number of workers.
The chairman said then that the corporation was not making enough money and could not afford to pay the staff.
He had also noted that there was no work for some of them to do – within their job description – because of production issues.