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GOING FOR GROWTH FEATURE
| THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015
T
HE AGRICULTURAL sector
contributes approximately
seven per cent to gross domes-
tic product, and employs approxi-
mately 18 per cent of the labour
force.
The sector’s significance far out-
weighs its contribution to GDP, having
regard to its linkages to tourism and
manufacturing.
Agriculture also plays a critical role
in rural development, and with the
last census indicating more than
220,000 farmers it means agriculture
would have directly touched approxi-
mately one million Jamaicans, given
an average family size of four.
The reality of Jamaica’s eco-
nomic situation provides signifi-
cant impetus for the acceleration
of growth in the agricultural sec-
tor. The unsustainable food
import bill of over US$900 million
per annum in the country pro-
vides an excellent stimulus for
import substitution.
There are now significant oppor-
tunities to create new industries,
such as the cassava industry to sup-
port the manufacturing of beer and
the bakery industry, pepper to sup-
port manufacturing of pepper mash,
and so on.
AGRICULTURE SET
FORGROWTH
THE RESPONSE
In order to capitalise on all of
the above opportunities for
increased growth in the sector,
and to convert the enormous
potential, the sector needs to be
comprehensively restructured.
To achieve the above objec-
tives, the agriculture ministry has
embarked on the implementa-
tion of several initiatives aimed
at promoting growth in the sec-
tor, including the Agro-Park Pro-
gramme and import substitution.
The agro-parks have been
developed as the flagship pro-
gramme of the ministry to help
in transforming the sector, and
to demonstrate the sustain-
ability of a value-chain
approach to agricultural devel-
opment. At this time, nine
agro-parks on 8,000 acres have
been established, through a
mix of public investments,
public-private partnerships
and connecting farmers with
markets. To date, some $2 bil-
lion has been expended in pro-
viding modern infrastructure
for production, processing and
marketing in these agro-parks.
Within the next five years, the
ministry intends to bring some
20,000 acres of lands into the
Agro-Park Programme.
In attempting to reduce
the food import bill, the min-
istry has focused on an import
substitution programme, target-
ing those crops which we can
produce competitively locally.
The ministry has carefully
selected a number of crops and
facilitated their expansion by
providing the necessary support
to our farmers through exten-
sion, training and linking of
producers with buyers.
The ministry will also be
implementing this year:
– A special programme to
further expand ginger produc-
tion by 300 hectares to produce
some 4.5 million kilogrammes
of ginger to fill local demand
and facilitate export;
– A backyard poultry produc-
tion programme under which
4,265 farmers will be supported
to produce some 3.4 million
pounds per year of poultry
meat.
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR YOUTH
The restructuring of the
sector, and the necessary
infrastructure are in place
to allow for profitable and
competitive engagement,
and infusion of technology
will naturally attract young
people. But beyond that,
the ministry will be taking
deliberate steps to engage
young people. These
include:
Allocation of a certain
percentage of lands in our
agro-parks or of support
through our onion, Irish
potato and other pro-
grammes to young people.
By specially support-
ing young people through
contract farming arrange-
ments that will give them
greater access to finances.
By working closely
with the Ministry of Edu-
cation to revamp agricul-
tural tertiary education
and training to ensure that
the training courses and
curricula are responding to
the needs of the sector. In
this regard, the ministry,
through the Jamaica Dairy
Development Board, is
allocating $30.5 million to
upgrade the dairy pro-
grammes at the College of
Agriculture, Science and
Education, Knockalva
Agricultural School,
Ebony Park HEART
Academy and Sydney
Pagon Agricultural
School.
Under the Sugar
Transformation Pro-
gramme, and through the
4-H clubs the ministry has
provided training to over
600 young people in such
critical areas as entrepre-
neurship and tractor oper-
ation, to be followed up
with start-up grants for
entrepreneurial opportuni-
ties at the end of the
training.
Donovan Stanberry is
the permanent secretary
in the Ministry of
Agriculture.
Donovan Stanberry •
Contributor
THE OPPORTUNITY
THANKS TOOUR SPONSORS: Carib Cement Limited • JAMPRO • National Bakery • Port Authority of Jamaica • Development
Bank of Jamaica • Moon Palace Resort • Ministry of Finance • Karisma Hotels • Surrey Paving &Aggregate Co Ltd • Enviro Planners Ltd
The multiplier effect from a dollar
invested in the agricultural sector is
greater than investments in any other
sector.
It is also the case that retention of
earnings in agriculture is greater than
obtains in the other sectors. The sec-
tor also has the capacity to provide
quick returns and absorb a large pro-
portion of the workforce.
From these perspectives, it is unique-
ly poised to make a marked contribu-
tion to the nation’s growth agenda
within the context of the current IMF
Extended Fund Facility programme.
FILE
Students Steven Davidson (left) and Devontae Brooks with agriculture teacher Owen Lyle wrapping sweet
pepper trees in the greenhouse at New Forest Primary and Junior High School.