Hugh Martin
THE GLEANER has kept its word so far in its promise to give special coverage to the agricultural sector. Since the launch on January 13 it has almost daily provided us with extensive commentary and reportage in some of the critical areas of the sector. In particular it has given the top leaders in the various commodity areas the opportunity to expose and to clarify the issues affecting their performance and profitability as well as to lobby the Government for the assistance so badly needed to release the vast potential that has been neglected for so long.
I will not be so presumptuous as to claim some credit for The Gleaner's decision to support the drive towards revitalising of agriculture although I have, through my columns, been bemoaning the limited attention the sector has received over the years. However, the numerous responses I have been receiving from readers online have led me to believe that there has been a very high increase in interest in the field.
CROP AND LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES
Quite a few of the responses are from persons desirous of making investment in various crop and livestock enterprises. Some simply want to comment on the state of the sector and to make suggestions on the way forward. There are some too who feel that we should just pack it up and import all our food.
I make an attempt to respond to most of those seeking information, sometimes putting them in touch with the appropriate individuals or agencies but unfortunately it is near impossible to respond to all. There are some that make very good reading and one wonders why they didn't submit them as letters to the editor as well. There are two in particular that I wish to share with my readers, not because they are in accord with my views (one is not) but because they add value to the discussion on the importance of agriculture to the economy.
The first one is commenting on the potential of agriculture to grow the economy. He writes:
"[Land] ownership need not be concentrated in one, or a few persons. What is required is that several small farmers need to join forces under a contractual arrangement, such as a company, or cooperative, and farm one crop. From this, they can do their own food processing. Profits can then be shared on the basis of acreage contributed. This way they all benefit from economies of scale and mechanisation.
CHEAP IMPORTS
The people in the agriculture industry need to flex their muscles to gain support from our political representatives. They need to get together and stop pulling apart. It is this division that individuals and other organisations want to see to keep the sector under-developed for their profiteering through cheaper imports. Agriculture has the potential, when compared with any other industry, to employ people with varying degrees of education "from food technologists, mechanical engineers to labourers."
The second letter is from
a reader who did not identify himself.
Dear Mr. Martin,
Your agriculture problem comes from both the inefficiency of small scale and a terribly overvalued Jamaican currency. It represents another blind paradox in your priorities. Jamaica has forgotten that agriculture is not a public works project; it is a product creation and delivery system. Jamaica would indeed starve if it were not given international welfare.
Achieve the efficiency of productivity that you can get with large-scale farming practices with mechanisation and reduced labour costs. Build some means of moving goods. Take the Government out of the equation. Devalue the J$ to about US$110 and you will recover. Continuing to put good money after bad in sugar, beef, milk, bananas, cocoa and food in general will get you nowhere until you make buying all these items from other countries unaffordable via monetary policy. If the J$ were to be allowed to float without continuous support derived from robbing the Jamaican people you would be able to 'Sell Jamaican' and not afford to ... "Buy Everybody/Anybody.
Jamaica has 'democratically' elected to be like it is. It should either learn to enjoy the impoverishment that it has produced or [stop] the whining and change its ways. There might still be time.".
Well, time yes but I have just run out of space.
Hugh Martin is a communication consultant and farm broadcaster at humar@cwjamaica.com
