Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterWITH THE resurgence of agricultural production over the last year, industry players say there are now increased prospects for employment in the industry.
In 2002, the agriculture sector contributed $1.3 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and by 2003 the amount reached $14 billion when measured in 1996 prices or just about 5.7 per cent more than the previous year, according to the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica.
Figures from the Ministry of Agriculture indicate that in 2003, 21.8 per cent of the labour force was employed in the agriculture sector. There were no indications as to the category in which these persons were employed, but two of the island's tertiary agricultural training institutions The Sydney Pagon Agricultural High School and the College of Agriculture Science and Education (CASE) have reported that the numbers of students pursuing agricultural studies there have been decreasing.
RE-ENGAGING
However, Dr. Karl Wellington, president of the Jamaica Red Poll Cattle Breeders' Society told The Sunday Gleaner that with the increasing demand for local beef since the imposition of a ban on the product from the United States earlier this year, more livestock farmers have been re-entering the cattle rearing business. But he said the benefits of their re-engaging in the practice would not be obtained immediately given that the cost for setting up pastures was still 'too high'. In addition, he said that farmers would not be able to rapidly increase their herds, as the gestation period lasts for nine months.
In the meantime, Senator Norman Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, said while there was an apparent increase in the number of cattle farmers, there also appeared to be an increase in the number of persons now engaging in the production of crops, including non-traditional items such as vegetables. But he said current irrigation problems were still a deterrent to some prospective farmers. For the period January to September 2003, production increased by 12.3 per cent over the same period last year, moving from 328,376 tonnes to 368,725, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Yam was the largest contributor, accounting for approximately 30 per cent.
