Young farmer reaps Prosperity

Patrina Pink, Gleaner Writer

Though there is no "glitz and glamour" in agriculture, 30-year-old Nickas Porteous says he is extremely happy. Porteous, who runs the Prosperity Producers Farm in Amity Hall, St James, completed his studies at HEART Trust/NTA's boarding school, Ebony Park Academy, in Clarendon in 1999.

Porteous warned of what he deemed "negative vibes" in the sector. "People in farming have a lot of complaints. They complain whenever they see anybody. Even when they have a success story, they don't want to share it. All they want to share is the negative."

The former assistant extension officer at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) now farms bananas, callaloo and other crops with associate Edward Bent. He left RADA after a decade-long stint in 2010. The on-the-job training Porteous received there equipped him well for a career in farming. While working with the agency, he interacted with farmers across numerous parishes and has been given a first-hand look at the state of Jamaican agriculture. The young farmer cites limited travelling resources and an inability for farmers to act on preventative advice because of financial issues as a major crutch to providing extension services.

"When I give them the advice, they can't buy the necessary things. Farmers aren't represented; the Government needs to give them a concessionary rate for material.

Porteous also said that the quality of farm produce is being seriously challenged by the state of Jamaican roads.

"We have some of the best soil on Earth and when a farmer harvest, him start off with a grade A crop. By the time him fi carry to the market is a grade C him end up with ... . The bad road squeeze him tomatoes, bruise up him crop." Porteous feels that the Government is not totally invested in agriculture.

One foot in

"It makes no sense the Government promote agriculture and have one foot in and one out. I'm not bashing anybody but we need to do better. (Dem) pump money in cricket and building this big old stadium that has no use to anybody. Why don't they work with what is already feasible? Agriculture has the potential to grow exponentially."

He cites an antiquated image of the sector as the main reason why more Jamaicans, especially youth, aren't investing.

"The people turned off agriculture. They think it's just hoe and machete in hand. That's not the case. I was told that there are 10,000 jobs in agriculture and 9,999 do not include hard labour."

His ultimate goal is to open a juice company that makes use of popular crops like mangoes and otaheite apples that are wasted in massive amounts annually.

Porteous requests that agriculturally minded individuals contact him at 863-6524.