THE GOOD name of Jamaican cattle gone abroad. The Australian and New Zealand cattle industries are interested in obtaining the genetic stock of our Red Poll and Red Brahman to improve their own stock.
In September five cattle breeders, four Australians and one New Zealander, came here as representatives of the company Super Gene Livestock Evaluation System to negotiate a deal worth millions of dollars. Interest was first developed when representatives from those two Commonwealth countries came here a dozen years ago in 1991 to the World Red Poll Conference. They concluded then that the unique Jamaica Red Poll would be useful in improving stock raised under similar conditions, particularly in Queensland, Australia.
Last Thursday the Governor-General again proclaimed another November National Science and Technology Month as the local S&T community asks the nation to consider the important role that science and technology plays in development. It is, therefore, a particularly opportune time to recall the sterling work done by Thomas Lecky in cattle breeding.
Dr. Lecky, patiently and under less than ideal conditions in the Government Agricultural Service, produced several breeds of beef and dairy cattle suited to Jamaican conditions. Among these are the Jamaica Hope and the Jamaica Red Poll. It is the Red Poll and the Red Brahman which has attracted the attention and interest of Australia and New Zealand, more advanced countries in economic development, in science and technology and in livestock breeding and rearing.
Jamaica has made several sterling contributions to science and technology internationally and has the dubious distinction of doing quality work which others have taken up abroad and made a bigger success of it than at home. Later this month the Scientific Research Council is hosting its 17th Annual National S&T Conference with a focus on S&T for economic development in Agriculture and Agro-processing. Dr. Lecky was a quiet presence in many previous conferences until his death at 94 in 1997.
The round-the-world cattle deal has hit a snag with transhipment through the United States which the Americans are not prepared to allow. Are there no viable alternatives through Latin America or Europe? American paranoia and narrow self-interest should not be treated as an insurmountable barrier to this exciting deal.
Our side should seriously engage the search for alternative transit and not just leave the matter to the purchasers who have been engaged, unsuccessfully in negotiations with the United States authorities. And there are the alternatives of embryo transfer and semen for artificial insemination which are being actively considered. Whatever the outcome, the show of interest in Jamaican-bred cattle by two of the world's leading livestock rearing nations is a major plus and a fillip to Science and Technology Month.
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