A. W. SangsterTHE SEMINAR recently hosted by the Farquharson Institute in association with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Jamaica Agricultural Society provided some interesting insights into the state of agriculture in the country. The challenges are many and varied, and there is clear need for new approaches in the context of food production and economic viability.
The 170 or so participants representing some 30 organisations came to listen and participate in shaping a new vision for the way forward. The Minister of Agriculture mentioned that he had come to learn and there was not much that he had learned during the day, as certainly the problems were well known. He shared some policies and programmes that are being proposed and implemented by the Ministry, and challenged the audience to come up with solutions and recommendations for the future.
It was clear from what speakers said that the ball game has changed and radical new approaches will have to be found to deal with the new paradigm. Some proposals that were made include the following:
Responding to customer demands: The agricultural sector needs to respond to the demands of changing tastes and choices worldwide, and deal with issues of quality, price, packaging and availability. Professor Marshall Hall indicated some interesting new directions that the sector can take in responding to these market demands.
Science and technology in agriculture: The Jamaican agricultural sector has only scratched the surface in terms of the use of S & T, though there are some exciting exceptions. The use of tissue culture, the beginnings of biotechnology and genetic engineering have great potential and must be pursued aggressively. The need to co-ordinate research was clearly identified as an important and necessary initiative.
A recommendation was made that Dr. Jean Dixon, executive director of the SRC, and Dr. Joseph Lindsay, Director of the Bodles Research Centre, should co-ordinate such an initiative to link the researchers.
Along with biotechnology, information technology must be seen as a major tool in the development of agriculture. Farmers need to understand and use this technology not only to communicate rapidly but also to learn how to access and use information which is available on the Internet.
The colonial export mentality: One participant pointed out rather cynically that in many ways we are still wedded to the colonial practice of exporting our produce in its primary form. Value addition by processing is still very limited. As an example, most of Jamaica's raw coffee beans are exported to Japan for processing where the mark-up is some 5 to 6 times the original Jamaican selling price. Imagination, marketing and integrity are needed to change this traditional approach.
Politics in agriculture: Many persons agree that politics has bedevilled the development of agriculture. Jobs for "the boys", political interference, and political appointees in positions which should be assigned to professionals and practitioners, all hinder the development of the sector. Clearly there is need for major changes and a radical review of the current policies and practices.
Alternative crops and procedures: Jamaica has a wide variety of non-traditional crops which can find niche markets in many countries. The increasing levels of environmental consciousness in many countries of the world provide opportunities for exploiting these new types of markets. Organic farming that can satisfy the expectations of the increasingly 'green generation' has great potential.
Challenging the youth: There has been a continued exodus from farming for both social and economic reasons. Agriculture has been seen as a poor man's occupation. This perception must change with the realisation that farming can be both productive and profitable. We need to bring a new generation of young people into agriculture.
Postscript: An environmental loss. An important environmental principle is the reuse of discarded materials. The recycling of Pet soft drink bottles contributes significantly to the reduction of waste. The plant at White Marl which incidentally collects only a fraction of the discarded bottles is at least being kept in business through subsidies. Another company, Dicebed started the recycling of newsprint and other paper products some years ago. The paper was shredded, bagged and sold for bedding for chicken houses and horse stables. But nowadays cheap or even free rice husks have become a preferred alternative for the farmers. The company unfortunately has gone out of business.
Was there no possibility of saving the company and using the shredded paper in some other way? Could not the shredded paper be used as mulch or even as a replacement for imported fuel? What is certain is that Ana Treasure's MPM will be collecting more garbage in the days ahead!
A.W. Sangster is former President of the University of Technology.
