Although an oversight hearing was set for this Friday and has since been postponed, Department of Agriculture director Tita Taitague says this week another batch of payments should be made to island farmers seeking assistance through the agency's Crop Damage Compensation Program.

"I think it's going to be good week for the farmers, they'll be getting another round of payment and it's a healthy check as I look into it they'll be happy," he said.

As of today, 78 farmers have filed claims with less than half of them paid already totaling $135,000. She says the second round of payments this week should be roughly around $400,000. As we reported last year, heavy rains caused a loss in crops to island farmers who in turn filed claims but were lacking proper receipts. When the oversight is rescheduled, Taitague hopes to ask oversight chair Senator Rory Respicio for assistance in updating guidelines in efforts to pay farmers quicker.

Source - http://www.kuam.com/