True fundamentals of economic growth

Wilberne Persaud, Financial Gleaner Columnist

I have found myself referring often to an undersung Jamaican hero, Thomas P. Lecky, in these columns.

His book Cattle and I should be compulsory reading in our schools - better still, the Jamaica Information Service ought to produce a documentary on his life and work for airing nationally, regionally and available to our schools. I offer my services to script this for free.

Lecky should be conferred the title National Hero, but if this is thought too high an honour, he should at least have his image adorn a note of Jamaican currency.

I am led to discuss this issue today because of two reports in The Gleaner of November 23. The Editors' Forum tells of Professor McLaughlin's view that the Government "has not been serious enough, over the years, to put a focus on S&T (science and technology)".

He is absolutely correct. This holds true for all Jamaican governments since Independence in 1962 - no exception.

Our early governments might perhaps, be excused, even though it was these initial post-Independence governments which, by comparison, seem to have had more enlightened attitudes to activities such as agricultural extension, farm man-agement and the like.

Those activities put to actual use on-the-ground, so to speak, the science and the technology made available by increasing knowledge and its application to human life-sustaining activity.

The second report in the same edition of the paper tells us that the Jamaican cattle breeds Lecky created half a century ago - the first new cattle breed developed in the Western Hemisphere - should be considered endangered.

Science and technology, let us never fail to emphasise it, are not necessarily twinned. The latter does not necessarily require the former.

Human beings have used many kinds of technology without having the scientific knowledge underlying the phenomena, for instance, use of the compass preceded scientific knowledge of magnetism.

Furthermore, our forbears' scratching the soil with stone-sharpened sticks to plant 'wild' seeds collected from edible plants is as much a technology as air-conditioned combine harvesters reaping soybeans in the United States Midwest or today's teen-agers' iPhones accessing Facebook.

Farmers are not registering their animals and not participating in breed society activities. The Jamaica Kennel Club, it seems, has more enthusiastic members than our dairy farmers. Why is this?

John F. Kennedy started the US space programme and Peace Corps. Government paid for those.

The US benefited immensely from expenditures mandated by the space programme. Materials technology, computer chips and software, among a host of other significant technological developments, derive from this one government programme.

The Internet had its beginnings in US state-funded, military-academic collaboration.

Essential to progress

It is agreed and accepted that government activity in these kinds of areas is essential to progress. OECD countries know and practise this, often without limit!

We, however, have bought into the diktat of our aid-givers and lending agencies that if we wish to have cornmeal, sardines and loan accommodations on soft terms, we must abandon the very programmes that truly possess and that truly generate growth potential and possibilities in our countries.

If milk solids are dumped on to our dairy processors and ice cream is fluffy and puffy only when fresh but turns to sickly goo otherwise; and if we are forced to buy these products in return for the favour of prolonged indebtedness, we shall go nowhere.

Entrepreneurs - bless their hearts - seek profits. Why buy Jamaica Hope milk, produce beautifully tasting yet wholesome and nutri-tious products but go bankrupt in the process? Forget natural and health foods for export and for tourists who would pay top dollar.

If we want cheap milk powder, if we are 'forced' to buy dumped cheap milk powder, no amount of fiddling with macroeconomic variables, interest rates, winner picking for growth, none of this makes an iota of difference.

We shall forever be doing and undoing the Maypole. Talk a good talk, produce a memorable seminar uniting private sector, government and civil society, borrow money and spend it on foreign consultants originating in the donor country but get angry when Kamla Persad-Bissessar lets slip this hard-nosed reality.

Sorry, Kamla, you really should not have said that; never mind it is true and has been so from time immemorial - it is bad, bad form, plus, you are a woman and, by definition, you should be more caring!

Your speechwriters and publicist failed you. Never mind, though, Trini might say: "Crapaud still don't smoke yuh pipe!"

wilbe65@yahoo.com