By Balford Henry, News EditorTHE JAMAICA Agricultural Society (JAS) has agreed to support a new Government initiative aimed at transforming the farming sector to meet the challenges of globalisation by 2005.
The decision was taken by the JAS at its monthly board meeting yesterday, following strong recommendations from both Minister of Agriculture Roger Clarke and his new Minister of State, Errol Ennis. Opposition spokesman J.C. Hutchinson, and some of the farmers present, however, had concerns.
Mr. Hutchinson suggested that the strategy was a rehash of plans announced by Mr. Clarke over the past five years without a time-frame.
Mr. Ennis has been appointed to sell the strategy, which he announced as the Agricultural Sector Strategy (ASS) 2003-2005, a belated attempt to galvanise the farming sector to meet the challenges of globalisation before 2006. He said that the strategy would not depend solely on Government
financing.
He conceded that successful execution of the strategy would entail the co-operation and co-ordination of several public and private sector entities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), like the JAS which represents just under 150,000 farmers.
Among the bodies which had previously given consent were the Ministries of Works, Local Government and Community Development, Commerce, Science and Technology, Industry and Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, National Security, Education and Culture and Development, the Development Bank of Jamaica, the National Irrigation Commission, Agro-Processors Association and the Jamaica Exporters Association.
A number of directors, including St. Ann representative Bob Miller, raised concerns about the JAS accepting a new Government initiative, when
it already had Cabinet
approval for an Agricultural Development Fund and praedial larceny strategy.
But, JAS president, A.A. Bobby Pottinger, vice-president Dr. Trevor Dewdney and board member Senator Norman Grant indicated that the Society had already sanctioned the strategy.
Mr. Pottinger criticised the Government for a reluctance to aid small farmers, who are primarily represented by the JAS: "I feel very passionate that small people cannot get a break," he said.
He said, however, that the Society had already committed itself to the strategy by naming two representatives to a planning committee appointed by the Ministry.
Mr. Hutchinson asked Mr. Ennis for a time-frame for this strategy. The Minister of State indicated that the strategy would come into effect this year and that he hoped that the basic steps would be completed within the next three years.
Mr. Clarke explained that it had become Mr. Ennis' task to reposition the Ministry and the agricultural sector to meet the new free trade era and that the strategy had looked at two basic issues: rural development and food security. But warned, "if we don't find a way to sing from one hymn sheet, we are not going to go anywhere."
Mr. Ennis said that, given the increased integration of global markets and the intensified competition that it brought, "there is little or no prospect of individual countries indefinitely insulating themselves from the effects of globalisation."
He said that the main challenge to the sector now was how to respond to the competitive world market and safeguard the farming community from the adverse effects of unfair trade. He said that the sector had no alternative but to increase the competitiveness of its products.
In the circumstances, the Ministry had decided to embark on a new strategy for the sector and a series of meetings with key stakeholders had taken place, "to map out an appropriate strategy."
He said that the main objectives of the strategy were: contribution to sustainable growth and development; stabilisation; rehabilitation; expansion of products; and the development of communities.
It has seven major elements: competitive agriculture; efficient commercial farming; application of technology; integrated rural development; involvement of young people; optimum level of value-added, through agro-processing; and product diversification.
To increase production significantly within the next three years, preliminary production targets had been developed for a number of products including: goat's meat, cassava, sweet potato, escallion, honey, ginger, carrots, tree crops, mango, ackee, breadfruit, June plum, cherry, soursop and hydroponics.
The objective is to have all agricultural lands effectively utilised and to strengthen and expand existing support
programmes.
