The National Crop and Livestock Council interim chairman Mr Simon Cole is optimistic a substantive body will be formed within the month.
The interim officials met recently to review the formation of small associations to be affiliated to the council.
“To form the substantive council the individual crop associations will have to come up with their own rules and regulations, own register of producers and using that they elect representatives to sit on the main council,” Mr Cole said.
“The meeting last week was an update of the progress of turning the interim council into the substantive council.
“When put together the farmers were keen that the council should not be run by the government appointed representative.”
A new development is the consolidation of goat, sheep and beef farmers within the Grazing Association while ginger farmers fall within the Root Crops Association.
The interim council also agreed on bylaws and registers that will be used by the substantive council.
Mr Cole said the first issue that the substantive council would work on was a level playing field for all farmers.
“The first issue the council is going to take to Government is the removal of anomalies in the duties of imported agricultural goods and to reduce the duty on equipment used for agriculture, particularly for export and local import substitution,” he said.
“We will make proposals to remove the anomalies on the value of things like fertilizer where some farmers can buy it cheaper while others pay a higher price.”
The next meeting of the council is in mid November.