Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke outlining some of the growth in the sector during a press conference at the Ministry of Agriculture's Hope Road offices in St. Andrew on Wednesday. At right is Dr. Richard Harrison, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture.
-Damion Mitchell photoDamion Mitchell, Farmers Weekly Co-ordinator
DOMESTIC CROP production has rebounded from the devastation of last year's flood rains, Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke has said.
Addressing reporters at a press conference during a sectoral review at the Ministry's Hope Road offices in St. Andrew on Wednesday, Minister Clarke said that for the period January to September, production increased by 12.3 per cent over last year, moving from 328,376 tonnes to 368,725.
According to him, yam was the largest contributor, accounting for approximately 30 per cent. However, the production of sweet potato and other tubers, including cassava, also increased. At the same time, the export and local markets were 'relatively good', resulting in farmers encountering little difficulties in dispo-sing their crops.
The Agriculture Minister said that although the Victoria Banana Farm in Clarendon had closed, assistance from the European Union Banana Programme resulted in export volumes being almost the same as last year. As at November 30, exports amounted to 37, 207 tonnes as against 37,829 for the same period last year. And while there are no plans to establish another banana farm next year, Mr. Clarke said that the Ministry would be facilitating more small and medium-scale farmers to export the crop.
In terms of livestock, he said that 'great strides have been made in the organisation of the production and marketing of pork' with the establishment of a core breeding facility at the Bodles Animal Production and Research Station in St. Catherine, which will make weaners available to pig farmers soon.
Goat production, he said, also recorded success and more farmers took advantage of the initiatives by the Ministry
of Agriculture to improve breeds and husbandry methods.
And even the cattle industry, which
for several years has been struggling, showed improvements during the year and now dairy farmers were unable to meet the demand of the Government's School Feeding Programme. Mr. Clarke said that Nestle Jamaica Limited will be increasing its intake of milk in January and the price per litre will be increased from $20 per litre.
Additionally, he said there was more consumption of beef. "The scare of the mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases has passed, the patty business is now thriving, the burger business is now thriving and people have begun to eat beef again. The problem we have, though, is that there is virtually a shortage of beef," he said.
The Minister also noted that there has been a resurgence of lethal yellowing of coconut plants, especially in the eastern parts of the island. Already a research programme has been approved for local and international researchers to address the problem but in the meantime the Ministry has been expanding its coconut cultivation programmes in western Jamaica.
