Golding urges private sector to invest in agriculture

Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

PRIME MINISTER Bruce Golding says the private sector should play a greater role in the agricultural sector as the industry begins to acquire a greater appreciation for the role of technology and proper management practices in food production.

"If this country is to move forward, agriculture has to become an area that people are excited about and are prepared to invest in," Golding said yesterday during the official opening of the $45 million Hounslow post-harvest and packaging facility in St Elizabeth by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica (GOJ).

"Several things have been wrong," the prime minister added. "This includes the slowness by which we have been prepared in the past to embrace new technology and apply it to agriculture. But you cannot compete on the global market if you don't apply technology and proper management practices to improve productivity."

The 8,800-square foot Hounslow plant was constructed under the Improving Jamaica's Agricultural Productivity (IJAP) project, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the GOJ, and the IICA at a cost of CAN$6.41 million.

GraceKennedy Limited signed a 10-year lease with the Government last September to run the facility, and has invested over $43 million in equipment for the plant. The company also has contractual arrangements with the local farmers to supply the facility with produce to meet its operational needs. It also has plans for the contracted farmers to receive seeds and pesticides discounts, as well as technical training and support.

"This business has turned out to be a very successful venture as we can market our products with confidence knowing that we have a consistent and reliable supply of raw material," said GraceKennedy's chief executive officer, Don Wehby.

Loss due to poor management

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Robert Montague said that local farmers lost up to $5 million annually due to poor post-harvest management.

Montague's predecessor and Member of Parliament for South West St Elizabeth, Dr Christopher Tufton - the visionary behind the Houslow project - said the initiative was a solid foundation for the development of an agro-industrial park in the area.

"This packing house is the start of that vision," Tufton said, "We hope to add other facilities, which will include a pepper-mash facility, a breeding station, and a satellite training facility operated by Heart/NTA, a honey-processing plant, a sheep rearing facility, and an abattoir."