EDITORIAL - Fix broken agriculture links

Jamaican bananas are back in British supermarkets after a five-year absence. An overly pleased Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke made the announcement earlier this week. The local industry was almost decimated by a series of powerful storms in 2008.

And if one adds the fact that greater efforts are under way to improve the tonnage of local sugar production, this could present a rosy picture of an agriculture sector in advancement mode. But we have seen how reliance on these traditional crops has negatively impacted the region in the face of changing global trade rules. Climate change has also guaranteed that deadly storms and other weather systems will affect the Caribbean and are likely to continue devastating crops like bananas.

Indeed, there is a broad regional strategy being articulated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that would see member states transforming their agriculture sectors into internationally competitive production units that would improve income and employment opportunities for their respective populations.

The need to set policy priorities came in the wake of renewed attention to regional agriculture within efforts to promote a CARICOM Single Market and Economy and challenges such as increased prices for fertilisers and pesticides and other inputs, combined with severe weather patterns which were affecting agriculture.

But despite what seems like a national understanding that agriculture has to be one of the key players in developing the Jamaican economy, only about 20 per cent of the workforce is employed in that sector. Young people continue to shy away from land, and many older farmers are discouraged by praedial thieves and the other challenges that confront them from time to time.

BRINGING ABOUT REVOLUTION

The 21st-century revolution in agriculture, employing new technologies to improve yields and introducing new disease-resistant varieties and alternatives to rising fertiliser costs, has not materialised. It is doubtful that the new agro parks that are being touted will prove to be that revolutionary.

The banana exports to Britain and a few other isolated areas of success are not sufficient to bring about the revolution either. There needs to be a well-coordinated, comprehensive policy response that will put farmers to work, replace exports with local produce, and apply technology to ensure shorter production and higher yields.

What about agricultural exports to CARICOM? Surely there are non-traditional crops that Jamaica could sell to Trinidad, for example. And how about satisfying the high demand for local produce in the diaspora? Why should south Florida, a mere one and a half hours by plane, get its yams from Costa Rica and not from Jamaica?

One of the missing links in the chain has been a marketing strategy. But production must be accompanied by marketing muscle, which many of our farmers do not have.

So if we feel we cannot make inroads into the export market with our non-traditional crops, at least there should be an emphasis on producing for the domestic market so that the country can earn its way out of its current hole. It is estimated that Jamaica's food-import bill could be reduced by 45% if we are serious.

Agriculture policymakers must face up to the fact that their leadership has been poor and uninspiring. If we are to achieve game-changing advancement in agriculture, that would see more people working, and economic benefit being accrued to the country, we must move away from the outdated, low-yielding and inefficient production methods the majority of farmers have been employing over the years.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.