By Andrew Clunis, Freelance Writer
WITH THE United States market opening up to Jamaican ackee, the Ministry of Agriculture is putting together meant to bring the country's productive capacity to the level where it will be able to service that market, effectively.
The Ministry has incorporated a resuscitation project into its tree crop programme, aimed at restoring 400 hectares of ackee or just about 100,000 trees.
This new phase of the tree programme is expected to cost about $26 million: government has committed funding of $8 million and farmers islandwide are to provide the rest through labour equity.
Meanwhile, the new planting programme is still underway with 800 hectares targeted. Project co-ordinator, Joseph Suah, says his department got over 100 applications for the new programme.
"Both projects are working in tandem. With the rains falling now we are busy planting, but the demand for ackee is so great and increasing, that we have decided that the method of resuscitating existing trees is an added direction."
The ackee programme involves the pruning, fertilising and spraying of trees. The Ministry will set up demonstration plots in major ackee areas of Jamaica to instruct farmers on the procedures.
Initially, focus will be placed on orchard type farms and areas where there is a great concentration of trees.
"When an ackee purchaser goes to an area, he should be able to pick up a substantial amount in one place and not have to drive gate to gate," said Mr. Suah.
The programme is based on past experience in hillside agriculture projects where trees were resuscitated and it was found that within a year, production of the crop had doubled.
The trees bore more ackees, the fruits became easier to reap, the fruits were larger and the quality of the arils (the edible portion of the fruit) were much improved.
It is estimated that there are about 250,000 ackee trees in Jamaica growing in various forms from orchards to backyards.
"We are hoping that by setting up demonstration plots and training days, farmers will get tuned to the technology and the processes involved. People from the local areas will be employed and trained so that they will be able to assist the farmers in those areas in carrying on the programme.
Mr. Suah said the resuscitation concept has been approved by the Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke and his department is in the process of recruiting staff and setting up offices.
