By Val Matthias. Updated 11:15 a.m., Friday, February 6, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Speaking at a town hall meeting hosted by Minister of Tourism Dr. Kishore Shallow in Fitz Hughes, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation, Israel Bruce, announced reforms to the Farmers ID programme, pledging to eliminate corruption and ensure fairness in the system.
Minister Bruce revealed that Cabinet has approved a new color-coded Farmers ID card scheme. Under the initiative, cards will be issued in different colors based on the size of a farmer’s plot. Backyard gardeners will receive one color.
Farmers with half-acre to five-acre plots will receive another, with eligibility for vehicle waivers clearly marked, and farmers with five acres and above will be assigned a separate color scheme.
The Minister explained that the system is designed to prevent abuse of benefits and to identify those who have been exploiting loopholes.
“Those who are cheating the system, I told them during the campaign that I was coming at them. I am already on my way at cutting out the corruption,” Bruce said.
He disclosed that since taking office, he requested and reviewed the full list of Farmers ID holders from the Farmers Support Company. His findings revealed that some individuals had been issued cards without proper verification, lacking deeds, leases, or official permission to farm.
“They should have never been verified to receive a farmer’s ID,” he said, stressing that such cards will be cancelled.
Bruce also addressed the plight of long-standing farmers in communities such as Fitz Hughes, Chateau, Trumaca, Lauders, Lowmans, and Greggs, who have cultivated land for decades without legal title. He pledged to work with the Attorney General to secure either legal ownership or government-issued authorization letters so that these farmers can be recognized and receive their IDs.
“This exercise has started, and it has started in earnest,” Bruce urged farmers to cooperate with the verification process. He emphasized that only bona fide farmers will benefit under the new system, while fraudulent holders will be removed.
The Farmers ID programme was introduced to formalize farmer registration, improve access to benefits, and reduce fraud. It is administered by the Farmers Support Company (FSC), which verifies applicants and issues the cards. Recent reforms have expanded eligibility to backyard gardeners and tightened verification requirements.
END
One News SVG 