Farming grass

Avia Collinder, Business Writer

Studies by Jamaican re-searchers indicate that where land is already owned, the farming of lemon grass can yield almost four times the investment in a crop now in high demand from the market that prizes healthy eating and wellness.

Lemon grass is now in high demand worldwide and in Jamaica for food and non-food purposes - for the extraction of lemon oil, as well as flavouring for tea and other products, and as a spice.

The product is more popularly known in Jamaica as fever grass, much of which grows wild.

Roselyn Fisher, general manager of Marketech, the marketing arm of the Scientific Research Council (SRC), says an initial investment of $250,000 to plant one acre can return J$900,800 to the farmer.

High-quality commercial cultivation of this aromatic crop is a viable proposition for the small farmer, Fisher claims.

A one-acre plot can yield 13,700 kilogrammes of fresh grass per harvest, or 9,590 kg wilted.

For this lot size, the number of harvests is expected to be three crops in year one, and four crops in years two to four, with replanting in year five.

The SRC study assumed that the farmer already owned land, and would fetch about J$40 per kg for wilted grass.

At that price, the estimated 9,500 kg yield would gross J$1.1508 million. Profit would therefore, amount to J$900,800.

The SRC notes that recent commercial production of lemon grass in tea bags has encouraged formal cultivation for quality purposes, as opposed to harvesting from the wild.

The council says Manchester and St Elizabeth appear to be the forerunners in this regard, with several small-scale plots established over the past few years.

Currently, in Jamaica, the dried lemon grass is used in the preparation of beverages, as well as value-added products, including extracted essential oil.

cosmetic USAGE

Use of the grass also falls within a wide array of beauty and aromatherapy products aimed at satisfying a growing market, with cosmetic products for commercial operations, including spas and beauty salons, as well as in the home.

Essential oils have also found their way in medicinal applications, being used to relieve nausea, muscle cramps and spasms, headaches, fever, and even to promote energy levels, the SRC notes.

For the farmer, processing of the plant can lead to zero waste, as the spent leaves can also be used for animal feed and compost.

According to the SRC, since the lemon grass market is still at the introductory stage of the product life cycle in Jamaica, "tremendous opportunities are open for several players to get involved along the value chain. The low-maintenance nature of lemon grass makes it a lucrative venture for farmers and other entrepreneurs."

The SRC notes that a plantation lasts six years on average, as the plants are known to deplete the soil-nutrient base.

The SRC concluded its research on the viability of lemon grass in January 2010. According to Fisher, the council sees the establishment of this industry as part of the solution to Jamaica's economic recovery.

The SRC, to kick-start the local lemon grass trade, commenced working with entities, such as the Bodles Agricultural Research Station, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Deve-lopment Institute, better known by its acronym CARDI, and others, to examine R&D initiatives and market potential.

increasing demand

Research shows, the SRC report states, that the world demand for lemon grass oil is increasing. Import/export data show India to be the largest producer, with about 80 per cent of its output sold on the world market.

The essential oil is traditionally exported to Western Europe, the United States and Japan.

Lemon grass includes two distinct species: the East Indian variety, cymbopogon flexuosus (DC) stapf, and West Indian, cymbogopon citratus (DC ex Nees) stapf.

While there are no large commercial farms cultivating lemon grass locally at this time, it is a popular crop for small farmers in countries such as Guatemala, India, Malaysia, China and Sri Lanka.

An important product of the grass is the oil, the quality of which is generally determined by the content of citral, the aldehyde responsible for the lemon odour.

Citral is mainly used in perfumes and cosmetics. The oil also has germicidal and medicinal properties.

The Jamaican farmer with an interest in growing lemon grass can put down plantlets or seeds on bauxitic, rocky limestone, clay, or loam soil.

The crop will also thrive on 'sugar lands', in warm and humid climates, and requires irrigation once every three days. Fertiliser is not necessary.

Tropical temperatures will produce high-crop yields, the SRC says, noting that harvesting time is six months from planting of the first crop, and thereafter, three months.

In drying, the grass is allowed to wilt for 24 hours before distillation to reduce the moisture content and improve oil yield. The dried grass is chopped into small pieces for extraction.

Currently, the world production of lemon grass oil is about 600 tonnes per annum.

The SRC notes that the value of essential oil entering the US in 2006 was about US$7 billion, and the importation of essential oil mixtures for food and drink was 44,565 tonnes, valued at US$2 billion, with an average unit price of US$46,543 per tonne. The United Kingdom imported 27,102 tonnes, valued at US$632 million, with an average unit price of US$23,326 per tonne.

In addition to export, the opportunities inside Jamaica include import substitution to replace the J$100 million of essential oils and associated products brought in from overseas annually.

avia.collinder@gleanerjm.com