Left: Tufton. Right: These bammies for sale on Barry Street, downtown Kingston, are made from cassava. - File

LESS THAN two years after Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Dr Christopher Tufton urged Jamaicans to make greater use of cassava, heavy demands for the tuber have sent agro processors scurrying for a duty-free licence.

Tufton's advocacy for cassava as an alternative source of carbohydrate has apparently paid off as its use has increased, creating a severe shortage in the lead-up to Christmas.

To make matters worse, cassava production has been affected by the severe drought across the island and a shortage of planting material.

Tufton confirmed that he has been approached by cassava processors who have appealed to him to allow duty-free cassava into the island for the Christmas season to fill current and expected demand.

Hike in prices

He also confirmed that the members of the Agro Processors Association met with him and complained that their businesses were being hit hard by the severe shortage of cassava for processing, as well as the increase in cassava prices precipitated by the shortage.

The price of cassava has reportedly jumped from $7 per pound two years ago to $20 per pound today.

It is understood that Tufton is not inclined to grant the request to open the way for duty-free cassava to pour into local shores.

Technical aid from overseas

The minister said he had instructed the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) to carry out an islandwide search for stocks and use the authority as a collection point, if necessary, to fill market demand.

"We are moving to put strategies in place in order to ensure that we address the issues of consistency of outputs and quality," he told The Gleaner.

A technical team from Brazil is currently in the island to assist Jamaicans establish larger cassava farms.

"Representatives of the state-run Brazilian agro research entity, EMBRAPA, are currently in the island for a technical visit and to sign a memorandum of understanding with the ministry's Centre for Excellence for Advance Technology in Agriculture.

"We are putting in place a structured programme. The Government is being assisted by the Government of Brazil, a major producer of cassava," Tufton said.

He disclosed that he has appointed a team headed by Patrick Lawrence, special adviser assigned to RADA and former managing director of LASCO Distributors, to coordinate a programme to identify and work with medium-size farmers to grow cassava based on best practices to improve yields and consistency of output.

Tufton said the agriculture ministry is moving to encourage private-sector agro investors to establish an additional 500 acres of cassava production on medium-size farms between 10 and 50 acres.

"This in an attempt to stem the increasing shortage of cassava currently being experienced by agro processors," he explained.

According to the agriculture minister, the Government is also approaching Colombia and Cuba to provide cassava planting material which is currently in short supply.

He said the decision was made to pursue this course as the promotion of cassava production by the ministry as a small-farmer crop has not resulted in the production consistencies required to support the increasing demand for the produce.

A Colombian official is currently in the island to carry out a cassava assessment.

Agro processors manufacture cassava products, primarily bammies and more recently cassava chips.

"If cassava is to become a main stream raw material for agro processors, production has to be staggered on medium to large farms in order to have supplies all year round," Tufton stressed.

"Small subsistence farmers are unlikely and unwilling to pursue such a strategy because it would require them to commit most of their small-farm plots to cassava which is an eight-month crop, thereby requiring a long period before revenues can be generated," he explained.

The minister said small farmers preferred to go with short-term crops such as vegetables.

They are also reluctant to grow more cassava because, in the past, they have had difficulties selling the crop.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com