B. St. Claire Hutchinson, ContributorThere has been much talk about agriculture, but we soon come to realise that talk alone cannot produce and agriculture is not easy.
Successive governments have stated policies but these seem to rotate with the administrations, in most cases leaving agriculture at a standstill or merely drifting, while the population grows putting more pressure on limited supplies.
In the 1970s, there was an all-out drive to involve people in the use of lands to get production going; people were being encouraged to eat what we grow. Special emphasis was placed on our young people in an effort to get them fully involved and ensure some amount of succession on the farms.
Then came the 1980s, and some serious mistakes were made:
MISTAKE NO. 1: The closure of the Jamaica School of AgricultureThis institution offered a rigorous three-year course in agriculture. On graduation, many joined the Agricultural Extension Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and worked as extension officers, teaching farmers improved agricultural techniques aimed at high-quality production. Some graduates went on to do further study in the sciences, among them Dr T.P. Lecky, Dr Karl Wellington and Dr Carlton Davis.
MISTAKE NO. 2: Downgrading of the Farmers' Training Programme at the Centre - Twickenham Park (St Catherine), Eltham (St Ann), Cobbla (Manchester), Canaan (St James)This training concentrated on young farmers who were trained and sent to farm more efficiently.
MISTAKE NO. 3: Closure of Home Economic Centre - Twickenham ParkThis centre provided training for farmers' wives and daughters. They were taught vegetable growing, chicken rearing and the preparation and preservation of farm products.
MISTAKE NO. 4: Closure of the Agricultural Marketing CorporationThis entity operated through branches and buying stations throughout the island and within proximity to the farming areas, purchasing and moving farmers' produce.
MISTAKE NO. 5: Dismantling the plant nurseries These nurseries, operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, produced good-quality clean planting material - made available at subsidised rates.
MISTAKE NO. 6: Closure of the Agricultural Information ServiceThis unit with help from agricultural specialists, etc, packaged and made available technical information which was communicated to farmers in a manner that they could understand and use to improve their productivity as well as to increase their earnings.
MISTAKE NO. 7: Closure of the Youth Camps, e.g. Cobbla, ChestervaleThese institutions provided skills training in agriculture and other areas to youngsters and were important sources of upliftment to so many.
MISTAKE NO. 8: Neglect of our Agricultural Research, that is Crop Research and Livestock ResearchThis left us with highly trained but frustrated scientists unable to fully and freely express their knowledge.
MISTAKE NO. 9: Abandonment of the Japanese Rice Research Project at Elim - St ElizabethThis project was aimed at increasing rice production in Jamaica and even sponsored two officers who spent one year in Japan observing its rice-growing techniques.
MISTAKE NO. 10: Neglect of our livestock industryValuable research had been done to produce, among other things, top class dairy and beef breeds of cattle. Such research was starved of fullest expression even when the need was so obvious.
These mistakes have caused a strong downward pull on our agriculture, even to the point where impending worldwide food shortage can have us rushing to cover our hunger in the production of other countries.
Caution should always be exercised in making changes, especially when these affect production and people, more so in agriculture where so many factors impact.
There can be nothing wrong with changes based on careful in-depth and objective evaluation, but changes merely to coincide or rotate with changes of political regimes can be disruptive, costly and counterproductive.
Prudent planning might suggest that we revisit our mistakes to see if and what corrective measures can be applied to reduce the impact on present and future farming operations and, by extension, food production.
There is absolutely no doubt that we need to list the level of technology among our farmers and it is good to see the emphasis being placed on greenhouse farming. However, there are limitations to the crops that can be successfully grown in greenhouses and there is no certainty that a large per cent of our farmers can capitalise.
The cadre of well-trained and well-equipped extension officers should be at hand and united with farmers and farming at all levels.
A FEW SUGGESTIONS
1. Discontinue the transformation of good agricultural lands into concrete showpieces. 2. Fully restore agricultural research and give it all the support needed for effective functioning. 3. Restore the Agricultural Information Service to properly package research findings along with other agricultural information and communicate to farmers in a manner that they can understand and use. 4. Subsidise the price of fertiliser to farmers. 5. Subsidise soil conservation. 6. Ensure low-interest supervised credit, especially to small farmers. 7. Provide farmers with effective market for their produce with collection points in proximity to their farming operations. 8. Ensure that the extension service is vibrant, well informed and not too thinly spread among farmers. 9. Make a special effort to interest, train and involve young people in farming operations. 10. Make a giant effort along with farmers to control praedial larceny.Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.
