By Byron McDaniel, Gleaner WriterWALDERSTON, Manchester:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE officer of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Patrick Anderson, has described as a 'serious problem', the 'significant' decline in domestic agricultural production and the simultaneous increase in imports.
"We are giving away market share when we do not produce," he said.
Mr. Anderson was speaking at a function to commemorate the first anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of Spaldings and Christiana at the Spaldings High School in Clarendon recently.
He said that in 1996 agricultural production was at 695 tonnes but the figure declined by more than one quarter or to 431.5 tonnes by 2002. And while local production decreased, he said imports grew by 700 per cent.
However, according to Mr. Anderson there was a six per cent growth in this year's first quarter and a seven per cent increase in the second quarter.
IMPORTS WILL FILL GAP
Noting that the demand for local agricultural produce for domestic and commercial purposes was more than the amounts being supplied, the JAS CEO said, "The vagaries of the weather, poor post-harvest control systems and the scourge of praedial larceny have given rise to lower output and the gap is likely to be filled by imports at an ever increasing rate if these problems are not addressed."
Mr. Anderson said that in order to encourage consistent agricultural production, irrigation systems must be significantly improved, as rainfall was inadequate for proper plant growth.
