Millions in fertilisers go untraced

Despite establishing standard procedures to distribute agricultural inputs, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has been unable to verify that tens of millions of dollars’ worth of fertiliser, allocated to members of parliament (MPs) for onward distribution, actually reached the intended farmers.

This was a key finding of a performance audit conducted by the Auditor General’s Department (AuGD), which evaluated RADA’s efficiency and effectiveness in administering the Production Incentive Programme (PIP). The PIP was designed to enhance agricultural productivity, food security, income generation, foreign exchange earnings, and rural development.

According to the special audit, between 2019 and 2023, over 11,000 bags of fertiliser – valued at approximately $54 million and procured under a bilateral agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco – were distributed through MPs.

RADA indicated that despite repeated requests, MPs did not submit distribution sheets detailing recipients.

“Accordingly, RADA could not provide proof that the fertiliser reached legitimate farmers or that proper measures were followed,” noted Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis.

She said the veracity of the distribution process was further compromised as extension officers, responsible for assessing the needs of farmers, were not involved in the process.

Monroe Ellis emphasised that RADA’s accountable officer is legally responsible for the management of public assets, including the Moroccan fertiliser, and should have implemented proper controls over its distribution regardless of whether the process was carried out by RADA or MPs.

SHORTCOMINGS

AT RADA

The report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, also revealed shortcomings in how RADA allocated resources under the PIP. Although the agency developed a tool to select priority crops, 54 per cent of these crops lacked specific targets, limiting the ability to monitor and evaluate performance. Among crops that had targets, only 29 per cent met them, while 17 per cent underperformed due to factors such as poor weather, pest infestations, and crop diseases.

In 2023, RADA introduced an enhanced crop selection tool that incorporated economic, socio-political, and environmental criteria aligned with the Ministry of Agriculture’s strategic goals. Despite this, only two of the eight priority crops identified using the new tool were approved and funded under the 2024-2025 PIP plan. RADA explained that the ministry included other crops based on additional strategic priorities and production data.

The audit also found that RADA’s capacity to effectively monitor programme performance was hindered by staffing shortages and internal control weaknesses. These issues, particularly in the distribution of the Moroccan fertiliser, compromised transparency and accountability.

In her conclusions and recommendations, Monroe Ellis urged RADA to strengthen the areas within its control given the agricultural sector’s vulnerability to external threats such as weather and pests. She also called for improvements in crop-selection methods, the establishment of measurable targets, and the implementation of a robust inventory management system to ensure accurate tracking of agricultural inputs.

She said the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining “must ensure that their practices adhere to the established policies, the FAA (Financial Administration and Audit) Act, and its associated instructions”. She indicated that failure to comply with established policies could result in the accounting and accountable officers being exposed to the risk of surcharge.

The audit further revealed that from the total 72,000 bags of fertiliser received between 2019 and 2023, over 3,800 bags – approximately 5.3 per cent – were deemed unusable and were discarded. However, this was not properly recorded in RADA’s manual systems due to the absence of a comprehensive inventory management framework to account for the supplies held at its warehouse.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com