Agriculture Rebounds to Record Growth

The year 2006 was a good one for the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, with the sector rebounding from the previous period of floods, fires, droughts and hurricanes, to become a major area of economic growth.

            Agriculture and Lands Minister, Roger Clarke in September, noted that the sector performed well in 2006 and production was expected to increase throughout the year. 

            “So far this year, in the first quarter, agriculture grew by 24 per cent and in the second quarter ending June, agriculture grew by another 30 per cent. It has been the main contributor to the growth of the economy this year,” he stated.

            With an increase in its budgetary by some $400 million, the Ministry worked assiduously to implement several projects and programmes to spur rural development, especially for women and youths.

            Some $128.5 million was allocated for the purchase of modern irrigation systems for farmers islandwide, and Minister Clarke told JIS News that the move was in awareness of the importance of irrigated water to support competitive agriculture in rural areas.

            In addition, $30 million was allocated to fund the Bee-keeping Apprenticeship project, while the Sheep and Goat project received $50 million; while beneficiaries under the Ornamental Fish production project were allocated $50,000 each to assist in setting up their own facility. The project targets young people from both the rural and urban areas. A further $50 million was earmarked for the development of a technology-based Fruit Tree Crop Project to allow farmers to meet the needs of juice manufacturers and increase their income earning potential in the long term.

Agricultural Support Services Project

            The Ministry's Agricultural Support Services Project (ASSP), funded by the Ministry and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), also made a positive impact on the lives of persons living in rural Jamaica.

            With a budget of $170 million, the project, which was implemented in 2001, is being undertaken in three components. Under the first component, 42 Memoranda of Understanding were signed with service providers as well as 50 contracts to supply a full range of agricultural support services. To date, some 45 contracts have been approved.

Plant health legislation was also enacted; personnel were hired and deployed; a plant health methodologies and a manual was also developed. In addition, an electronic plant health surveillance and pest response database was installed in Kingston and Montego Bay and quarantine facilities were established.

            Under the third segment of the project, the Ministry pumped some $75 million in three income-generating projects to benefit 97 farmers in Amity Hall in St. Catherine, Ebony Park in Clarendon and Springfield in St. Thomas.

            Some 32 farmers have benefited from the Amity Hall project, which involve the planting of sweet potatoes, escallion and peppers on about 80 hectares (200 acres) of land.

            In terms of the Ebony Park project, 35 farmers were selected to plant pumpkin, peppers, dasheen and sweet peppers on about 100 to 120 hectares (250 to 300 acres) at a cost of about $26.8 million, while in Springfield, 30 farmers were be involved in the cultivation of honey dew melons and cantaloupe, at just under $17 million in funding.

            In addition, the ASSP invested some $11.9 million with the Springfield Growers' Association, in Morant Bay, St. Thomas.

Increase in Honey Production

            During the year, there were positive developments in the honey industry as the sector doubled in production through the use of new technology; the training of some 28 young persons, who have been assisted with starter units; and the commissioning of a honey bottling plant in August.

Ackee Exports Resume

            In addition, despite the problems in the ackee sector, production increased and imports to the United States resumed in October. The country's ackee export market was placed on hold last year December when American officials discovered high levels of hypoglycin in the fruit.

            In December 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration announced a recall of 31 cases of canned ackee shipped to Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut, due to higher than acceptable levels of hypoglycin.