Levy calls for unity in agricultural sector

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

A major private sector player has charged all stakeholders in the farming sector to use the 2011 Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show as a rallying point to undertake detailed study of Government's green paper on tax reform, which was recently tabled in Parliament, with the aim of identifying and challenging any potentially harmful aspects.

Christopher Levy, president and chief executive officer of the Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG), used Tuesday's official launch of this year's show to appeal for unity in order to guard against devastation such as what happened with Haiti's rice industry, as a direct result of the intervention of multinational agencies.

"I think what we have to recognise is that at this point we have to have a very, very unified approach to these ideas and initiatives that come out of the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) and World Bank. It requires a very clear stance from the industry and from our leaders, and without a doubt it is a topical discussion now that I think the players need to get involved in, in a very, very deliberate way," Levy said, during the launch held on the lawns of the ACE Supercentre in White Marl, St Catherine, yesterday.

"And as you know, the devil is in the details. So it is when you get into the appendix of document, that you start to see these nuances that come out," he said of the document, which was prepared in consultation with the IDB.

Levy, who was referring to, among other things, the green paper's recommendation for an across-the-board reduction of the common external tariff on imports, was graphic in his portrayal of the demise of rice growers in Haiti, where JBG is working to establish a foothold.

Apology too late

He cited an apology by former United States President Bill Clinton, who had pressed for the reduction in duty, as a little too late.

"Now that's all well and good that he apologised, and it was deserving and it was timely. However, there is still no rice industry in Haiti and the folks that used to grow rice in Haiti are now eating grass on the roadside," he lamented.

"Let me tell you something, it's because there was not a vigilance of the agriculture sector at the time when he did, and I'm telling you, ladies and gentlemen, our time is now. We need unification in the agriculture sector that we've never seen before. It is the backbone of our country, so I think Denbigh is critical this year."

Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, who delivered the keynote address at the launch, made no reference to the document or Levy's comments.