Seeder technology cuts onion-production cost
Published:Wednesday | March 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Avia Collinder, Business Writer
Jamaica grows less than seven per cent of the onions it consumes, but the state-sponsored distribution of new planting technology, which has cut production costs by as much as 80 per cent, is giving local farmers an incentive to plant more of the crop.
Jamaicans consume 6.85 million kilogrammes of onions annually, but grow just 455,000kg or 6.64 per cent of the bulbs, primarily in St Elizabeth and St Thomas.
The other 93.4 per cent is imported at a cost of US$4 million (J$344 million) per annum.
The Marketing and Agriculture for Jamaican Improved Competitiveness programme (MAJIC) is reporting a 50 per cent reduction in the cost of planting material to onion farmers following the introduction of new precision seed planters resulting in higher crop yields.
The agriculture ministry estimates the total cost of production from a 0.4 hectare plot, with a 5,114 kg crop yield, at about J$257,000 — of which 50 per cent savings would amount to about J$128,000.
The cost of establishing the crop is estimated at J$43,480 for planting materials, with seedlings costing J$10,000 per 500 grams. Those costs would have been reduced to a quarter under the MAJIC programme.
Onion growers currently sell at about J$88/kg, valuing output at J$40 million.
The new seeder technology has cut the cost of establishing the crop to one-fifth of normal spend. And MAJIC has initiated a partnership with a local supplier to make the equipment and service parts of the seeder available based on farmer demand, says Karryl Aitcheson programme coordinator of MAJIC, a USAID-funded project.
MAJIC has supplied some 17 farmers groups in Clarendon and Trelawny with triple row planters, which cost J$116,950 each, and one-push or single row planter which sell for J$47,510.
The programme also distributes fertiliser, seeds, and assists with land preparation, technical support and market access.
The market for onions is grocery stores, agro-processors, food establishments, as well as households through food markets.
The retail price is around J$213/kg.
While the primary use of onions is for food flavouring and garnish, it is also used for health purposes to treat colds, coughs, asthma, to induce appetite, reduce the growth of tumours in the colon, and as cardiovascular aid, according to Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries research.
The ministry wants to wean Jamaica from onion imports and hopes to cut the annual import bill from US$4 million to US$2 million by 2013.
MAJIC, meantime, is leading discussions on the design of a low-cost post-harvest handling technology to reduce onion spoilage and loss to farmers from praedial larceny.
Jamaica's production of onions has held steady at 6-7 per cent in the past two years, but output has fallen in the period,according to Ministry of Agriculture data.
St Elizabeth accounts for 85 per cent of local production.
In 2009, Jamaica grew 721,000 kgs of onions, representing 37 per cent higher output than 2010.