the agriculturalist - august 2013 (denbigh 2013)

By Patrick MaitlandEditor-The Agriculturalist

More than a decade after boasting atotal of 80,215 registered members,the Jamaica Agricultural Society, Jamaicasoldest farmers organization, is reporting a92% decline in its membership. The pres-ent membership is only 6,323 members.

According to the Societys Annual Re-port for the period of April 2012 to March31, 2013, all the parishes across the islandhave seen membership plummeted in thehundreds. Clarendon has experienced thesharpest decline in membership with amere 317 members compared with 15,240in 2000.

St. Mary has seen a significant loss of9,637 to 382 members. St Catherine fol-lowed with 598 from 7,584, St. Ann 493 of6,855, St Elizabeth 377 of 6,550, Man-chester 412 of 6,122, St Thomas 334 of5304, Trelawny 347 of 4802, Portland 919of 4,131, Westmoreland 624 of 4,040, St.Andrew 759 of 3,847, St. James 295 of3550 and Hanover with 466 of 2,554members.

The JAS also suffered losses in its affili-ated branch network that now stands at 245compared to 981 in 2000. Clarendon (10),St. James (11), St Mary (12) and St.Thomas (13) recorded major decline dur-ing the period.

However, Christopher Emanuel, JASCEO explains the declining membershipis a result of management policy to listonly dues paying members as part of theofficial membership.

Mr Emanuel further notes that despite thepolicy, several thousands non-member/farmers continue to benefit andparticipate in various JAS-sponsored ac-tivities. A large percent of these peopleare unable to pay the minimal dues of $200per year and we will continue to servicethem, he adds.

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VOL. 24 NO. 3 AUGUST 2013 FREE COPY WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

JAS Members Declined by 92%

DENBIGH CHAMPIONS:(l-r) Champion farmer, Leslie Murray; Farm Queen 2012 Amelia Leveridge and Young Champion, Nicholas Powell posewith their trophies at Denbigh Show 2012.

The organisers of the Denbigh Agricul-tural and Industrial Show are lookingforward to another successful event, sched-ule for August 4-6, 2013 at the DenbighShowgrounds, Clarendon. Chairman of the shows organising

committee and president, Jamaica Agri-cultural Society (JAS) Grant Grant saidthe JAS is seeking to diversify the Denbighshow, which started some 61 years ago.This 61st staging will live up expecta-

tions, as the tourism, youth, health and or-ganic villages will be in operation. The JAS will be seeking to attract at

least 70,000 patrons to the annual agricul-tural showcase.

Denbigh feature pages 9-14

RescueOrganic Fertilizer

Kitson Town P.A.St. Catherine, Jamaica

(876) 610-7283

DenbighShow 13

Christopher Emanuel, JAS CEO

2 THE AGRICULTURALIST AUGUST 2013 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

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EDITORIAL PAGE

The despicable practice of robbing andstealing of farm produce or praediallarceny has been a major setback for Ja-maican farmers for several decades.

These criminal activities have been fea-tured and listed in several crime reportsand studies on Jamaican agriculture. Hun-dreds of farmers died during the process,while others sustain serious bodily injuriesas another man reap the sweat of theirlabour.

Praedial larceny appears to be a majorconspiracy or cover-up to the extend thatthe government economists are always un-derestimating the direct and indirect lossesto farmers.

For many years the losses have been es-timated at $4-5 billion annually. Howridiculous? In our estimation the losses iswell over $10 billion annually.

However, we all agree that farm theft is amajor deterrent to the development of theagricultural sector. Several solutions havebeen put forward to solve the problem, butnothing seems to work.

Its like more talks and promises fromour political leaders.

The Jamaican farmers are frustrated andare giving up on the Governments ability

and willingness to protect them from thecriminals who raid their properties.

As Jamaicas longest serving Minister ofAgriculture for over ten years, RogerClarke is still not able to find a solution.He is correct however in stating that prae-dial larceny should be treated like anyother major crimes with a specialized po-lice squad assigned to deal with the issues."

Praedial larceny is worst than scammingas far as the farmers of this country areconcerned and we cannot continue to ig-nore these practices.

We all know that it is a national crimeand it discourages people from ever con-sidering going into the agriculture sector.

We need to stop talking about the prob-lems and seek positive solutions if we areserious about the welfare of our farmers.

We are recommending the following ap-proaches:

The Government must put in place newlegislation to strengthened existing laws todiscourage the thieves. This means longerprison term and heavier fines for offend-ers.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force shouldestablish the Anti-Praedial Larceny Unitunder the command of an assistant com-missioner of police.

Create an advisory committee compris-ing of farmers and other stakeholders to

provide guidance to the police in everyparish and areas most affected.

All higglers and traders of farm pro-duce must be registered with the Anti-Praedial Larceny Unit and provide proofof purchases.

The farmers should not be forced topurchase the JAS receipt book any re-ceipt book should be fine.

Keep a reliable record of praedial lar-ceny activities and profile the criminals inthe media and in the local communities asin several cases, the criminals are assistedby neighbours and other people in the com-munity.

We agree with Minister Clarke that theproblem cannot be left to the Ministry ofAgriculture alone as it is a matter that re-quires strong police intervention and en-forcement of the laws.

In fact, praedial larceny is no differentfrom tourism harassment, lottery scam orshop breaking which are all criminal activ-ities that the police cover everyday.

As a society we need to show more re-spect for the farmers by putting an end topraedial larceny.

byPATRICK MAITLAND

Publisher -The Agriculturalist [email protected]

The opinions expressed in this newspaper, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Agriculturalist and its publishers. Please send your comments or suggestionsto [email protected]. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all articles will be published.

Focal Point

Time to fix the praedial larceny problem

Dear Editor, Today I heard Minister of AgricultureRoger Clark saying that he would try to en-sure that "foods" containing GeneticallyModified components be labeled as such.

A few minutes of internet researchshows the dangers of eating "foods" withGM components, the various diseaseswhich are linked with them, and the prom-ises which do not materialize in practice.

You will quickly find the long list ofMonsanto executives who shuffle back andforth between government boards andMonsanto positions, thus ensuring theirproducts are approved.

Clark should interview the Haitianfarmers who burned Monsanto seeds inpublic and find out why they refused them.

Monsanto has been trying to eliminatenatural seeds and forcing everyone world-

wide to buy their GM seeds every year!He should talk to the dozens of widows

in India whose husbands chose SUICIDEwhen they could not repay their loans, alldue to GM seeds.

Roger should find out why Europeansrejected GM "foods" and do want them ontheir shelves.

He needs to find out how GM plantscontaminate natural species and destroy di-

versity, leading to serious problems.Jamaica should prove its independence

from the American empire by banning allGM seeds and "foods" from entering Ja-maica. It is felt by many that Haiti and Ja-maica are two puppet governmentscontrolled from Washington, so we have todisprove that notion now.

Michael Maragh

OPINIONS

The dangers of eating "foods" with GM components!

Continued from page 1The Society has been plac-

ing great emphasis on increas-ing membership and as aresult, there was a 52% in-crease in branch membershipfees during the year comparedwith the previous year.

Furthermore the Societyin an effort to continue this up-ward growth will seek to in-crease contact with farmers,improve services, reactivatingdormant branches and intro-duce community base eco-nomic projects, the CEO says.The JAS is currently on amassive membership drive toreturn the membership to itsformer days, Emanuel prom-ises.

As a statutory body under theMinistry of Agriculture, the Ja-maica Agricultural Society re-ceived $83.6 million or 82% ofits income as government sub-vention during the 2012/2013fiscal year, but there are alsobureaucratic obstacles thatprevented us from applyingmore stringent managing prac-tices including the hiring andfiring of staff, Mr. Emanueladds, our aim is to restructurethe JAS into a modern and ef-ficient organization to meet theneeds of todays farmers.

It was a very good financialyear for the JAS. The total in-come increased by 24.3 % re-sulting in a surplus/profit of$5.24million. Significant con-

tributions from membershipand affiliations fees of $1.08and $6.12million, respectivelywere among the contributionfactors to the positive financialgrowth.

The Jamaica Agricultural So-ciety was established in 1895

with the aim of representingthe interests of farmers by of-fering a plethora of services toits members to enhance theirlevels of productivity and ulti-mately facilitate the overall de-velopment of the agriculturalsector.

Publisher & Editor: Patrick Maitland

Advertising Executive:Tricia Reece

Consulting Editors: Vincent Wright, Jairzenho Bailey

Produced & Publishedby:

Agri Life Foundation LtdAMC Complex,

188 Spanish Town Road,Kingston 11, Jamaica, W.I.Tel: (876) 923-7471 923-7428

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JAS Members Declined by 92%

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NEWS

Revitalization of the Dairy Sector

The Dairy Sector Revitalization Programme has givencritical support to the industry since its launch in 2008.PROJECT FOCUS

Making available low cost loans and grants to farmers throughthe DBJ/PC Bank network for working capital support.

LOAN COMPONENTBeef and dairy farmers have benefited from loans totaling $64M for pasture development; purchasing breeding stock; and up-grading farm equipment.

CAPACITY BUILDING COMPONENTAssistance provided through farmers organizations include: There-introduction of a National Milk Recording Programme in col-laboration with the Jamaica Hope Cattle Breeders Society; Al-locationof mastitis testing kits and computers to aid participatingfarmers in National Milk Recording Programme.

GRANT SUPPORT PROGRAMMEAssist in building local capacity in Embryo Transfer Technique;Capacity building support to BDPAJ in the development of anoperational plan for the management of cluster farms and en-gagement of pre-project consultancy; Initiation of a collabora-tive research project with UWI, St Augustine to develop anisland-wide nutritional profile of Jamaica pastures, upgrade theForage Analytical Laboratory at Bodles; and Approval of grantsfunding to enable restoration of milk collection facility atRhymesfield Cooperative. Support the establishment of a milktesting reference laboratory at the Bodles Research Station.

For further information contract:

JAMAICA DAIRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Hope Gardens, Kingston 6

Tel: (876) 618-7107 Fax (876)977-9230 Email: [email protected]

KINGSTON:

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, RogerClarke, is advocating for farmers to setan example by lending greater support to lo-cally produced goods.

Addressing the farmers at the 118th An-nual General Meeting of the Jamaica Agri-cultural Society (JAS) at the Denbigh ShowGrounds, Clarendon on Wednesday (July 10)the minister stated that there was a real needto support the use of local produce. He en-couraged the farmers to lead by example byusing more locally grown ground provisionsin their own diets rather than continuing theheavy dependence on imported rice, which isone of the foods responsible for the countrysexorbitant food importation bill.

He told the JAS delegates that everyfarmer in Jamaica should have some amountof local food crops growing in their ownbackyard and stressed the importance of treeplanting, stating that farmers should plantand enjoy the produce of their personallygrown fruit trees. He indicated that in termsof fruit trees, plans were in the making tolaunch a major fruit tree planting pro-

gramme, especially in light of the fact that anAmerican importer had expressed willing-ness to import mangoes from Jamaica.

In keeping with the countrys Food Se-curity Programme, the minister said, furtherthat he was determined to implement theFood and Nutrition Policy aimed at enhanc-ing the access of Jamaicans to available sup-plies and reasonably priced nutritious foods.Part of the Food and Nutrition Policy, hesaid, seeks to ensure that Government-run in-stitutions, such as schools, hospitals and eventhe prisons use a substantial amount of localfoods.

The School Feeding Programme, whichis to be expanded this year, also aims to sup-ply a greater amount of local fruit juices toschools. The goal is to begin with 135,000students and to seek to eradicate the heavyreliance on bag juices which have little or nonutritional value.

Citing the success of Irish potatoes, thevast majority of which is now grown locally,Minister Clarke urged the farmers to adapt tonew markets and so aim to satisfy local de-mand for some produce now currently beingexported.

Clarke Asks Farmers to Lead by Example in Eat Jamaican Campaign

One of four persons detained a week agoin connection with a case of praediallarceny in St. Elizabeth has pleaded guilty.Donwayne Wright, 24, Rodge Pen in theparish, entered the plea when he faced theBlack River Resident Magistrate's Court onWednesday. Mr. Wright was taken into cus-tody on July 17 after stolen cows were foundin a truck.

Prosecutors withdrew the chargesagainst the other three men one of whomwas hired to drive the vehicle. The court was

told that the police were on an operation inMalvern in the parish when the truck trans-porting the four men and five cows wasstopped. The men were unable to give an ac-count of how the cows came to be in theirpossession.

The animals were later identified asthose stolen from a farmer and the men ar-rested. Mr Wright will be sentenced on Au-gust 14. In recent weeks several farmers inSt Elizabeth have been losing cattle andother animals to praedial thieves.

Man pleads guilty to theft of cows

Kingston:

The Jamaica Veterinary Medical Associa-tion is concerned concern that meat forlocal consumption not subject to the strict as-sessment carried out on meat that is ex-ported.

Most as our meat comes from the largerproducers but it is a concern that we need tolook at , one that involved education, that in-volves interacting the farmers, the backyard

people and recognizing that (the meat) is af-fecting the food chain and affecting parts ofthe population, said Dr. Sarah Eyle, secre-tary of t he Jamaica Veterinary Medical As-sociation.

Members from the association wereguests at a recent RJR Group News Forum.

The Association added that knowledgeand interface is required as well as a pub-lic/private partnerships.

Veterinarians concerned aboutassessment of locally consumed

Jamaica is to get further help from overseasin battling two diseases which have been af-fecting the agriculture sector.

Jose DaSilva, director-general of the Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO), who ison a visit to the island, said the Brazilian Re-search facility EMBRAPA, will be assistingin efforts to combat the coffee leaf rust and cit-rus greening diseases. Mr. DaSilva made thedisclosure during a meeting on Monday withPrime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

The government has been battling thedreaded Coffee Leaf Rust disease, which hasbeen a major headache for coffee farmerswhile several nurseries have been hit hard bythe citrus greening disease.

Mondays meeting also reviewed theFAOs Programme of Cooperation with Ja-maica and technical assistance to help combatthe beet army worm affecting vegetable farm-ers, particularly in St. Elizabeth.

Jamaica to get help in fightingcoffee and citrus diseases


SIGNING OF FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME:Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) CEO, Lenworth Fulton (l) andthe Mona School of Business and Management (MSB), Director Maurice Mc-Naughton during a formal engagement signing between RADA and MSB recentlyat RADA offices, Hope Garden, St Andrew. The partnership is part of a broader re-gional initiative under the code for the Caribbean, Open Data in Agriculture Ini-tiative. Under this agreement referred to as the Fellowship programme, three MSBinterns will undergo internship at RADA for 6 months.

Agovernment ministerial party from theCommonwealth of the Bahamas visitedthe College of Agriculture, Science and Ed-ucation (CASE) on Wednesday, July 24,2013, to hold collaborative talks with regardto leveraging the expertise at the institutionto assist with the development of their ownAgriculture College.

Advisor to the Minister of Agricultureand Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Ambas-sador Godfrey Eneas reported that the resultof his fact finding mission to the college inApril was favourable to his Prime Ministerand the reason for his return to deepen talks,this time with accompanying Ministers.

We are planning on starting the collegeto offer Certificates, Diplomas and AssociateDegrees and so the Bahamas will be leaningon the CASE to assist us to reach where theyare going, stated Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald,Bahamas Education, Science and Technol-ogy Minister.

He added that the College of the Ba-

hamas is on the cusp of moving to universitystatus, and so consideration for this agricul-ture training college, is for it to be a semi-au-tonomous entity within the university.

The Minister of Agriculture, V. AlfredGray, went on to highlight the fact that theirisland of Andros, which is a bit larger thanJamaica and mostly rural in nature, is ear-marked for cited the institute.

The delegation studied the CASE cur-riculum and toured the campus with RevdDr. Mary A. Nichols, JP, CASE President andher leadership team; which fostered robustdiscussion and guidance for the BahamianParty.

Ideas about Aquaponics and Mariculture,which the Bahamians intend to be major fea-tures of their College programme offering,were discussed.

A Memorandum of Understanding is tobe established in short order, where CASEwill be seen as the collaborative institutionin guiding the Bahamas Agricultural Collegeinto existence.

The Minister of Agriculture has inter-vened in a dispute involving farmersfrom the Plantain Garden River Agro Parkin the eastern parish of St Thomas, the FredJones Estate and the Sugar TransformationUnit, (STU).

On Wednesday, Roger Clarke, Agricul-ture Minister, met with a group of the farm-ers who voiced concern that more than 100acres of lands on which they farm was re-portedly taken over by the STU and FredJones Estate.

Clarke assured the farmers that he willbe meeting in another week with the STU.He added t hat he will seek additional landsfrom the Fred Jones Estate, which occupiesgovernment lands in the area.

On May 29, the farmers staged ademonstration in which they claimed thatthe disputed lands were part of the pro-posed Agro Park . At that time they alsocalled on the Agriculture Minister to inter-vene.

Clarke intervenesin land dispute

Bahamas seeks CASE expertiseto develop Agriculture College

Alevy of US$1 has been imposed on eachpound of conch exported during the 2013conch season.

The House of Representatives, on Tues-day, July 23, approved the Conch (ExportLevy) (Rate of Levy) Order Resolution, 2013,to facilitate the move. The Resolution wasbrought by Minister of Agriculture and Fish-eries, Roger Clarke. The law requires that foreach conch season, the rate prescribed by theMinister must be subject to affirmative reso-

lution in the House of Representatives. TheConch (Export Levy) Act imposes a duty onthe export of conch, to facilitate the sustain-able management and development of thefisheries sector.

The Act, which was passed in 2009, isused in part to offset the cost of implement-ing programmes for monitoring, control, sur-veillance and enforcement in relation toJamaicas limited conch resources.

US$1 Per Pound Levy on Exported Conch


Denbigh Show 2013 to Attract ThousandsBy Judith A. Hunter

JIS Reporter

The Denbigh Agricultural, In-dustrial and Food Show, thelargest event of its kind in the Eng-lish-speaking Caribbean, is ex-pected to attract over 80,000patrons this year.

The show, which takes placefrom August 4 to 6 at the DenbighShowground in May Pen, Claren-don, under the theme: Grow WhatYou EatEat What You Grow, isknown for its display of the verybest in local livestock, agricultural,horticultural and food exhibitsfrom all parishes.

Jamaicans are being promisedsome special treatsfor this yearsstaging, which has as its sub-theme: Food Securityour Gate-way to Prosperity.

President of the Jamaica Agri-cultural Society (JAS), NormanGrant, said some new featureshave been added to the usual fareof displays, exhibits and competi-tions.

Among them is a Global TradeExchange, which takes place onMonday, August 5. This TradeExchange will be aimed at provid-ing our main stakeholders, spon-sors, partners and affiliated

organisations with the opportunityto interact, establish contacts, andbe better educated on markets/pro-duce locally, regionally and inter-nationally. It will also seek tocreate linkages and connect buyersand sellers to create new businesspartnerships through structurednetworking and matchmaking.Participants will be drawn from thelocal, regional and international

sphere, Grant explained.The JAS President said he is

very excited about the new anddifferent offerings, which also in-clude: a National Woman Cham-pion Farmer competition; aDenbigh Auction, Denbigh MotorShow, Commercial Exhibits com-petition and Digicels Back-to-School Fair targeting 10,000students, who will be presented

with school supplies.Senator Grant said that a huge

overseas contingent is expected.Delegates from Canada, the UnitedStates of America, United StatesVirgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St.Martin, Trinidad and Tobago, Bar-bados, The Bahamas, Bermudaand the Cayman Islands, will be inattendance.

Minister of Agriculture andFisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, willparticipate in the events openingceremony on Sunday (August 4),while the Governor General, HisExcellency the Most Hon. SirPatrick Allen, will attend the showon August 5 (Monday). PrimeMinister, the Most Hon. PortiaSimpson Miller, is scheduled to at-tend on the final day, Tuesday, Au-gust 6.

The main objectives of theDenbigh Show are to promote theagricultural sector; display the bestfoods produced in Jamaica byparish and highlight the impor-tance of agriculture to the exportsector and the national economy.

While showcasing the latestdevelopments in agricultural tech-nology, the Denbigh Show willalso demonstrate linkages withother critical sectors of the econ-

omy such as science and technol-ogy, research and development,tourism, entertainment and fi-nance.

Gates will open daily at 8:00a.m. and admission is $700 foradults and $300 for children.

HistoryThe Denbigh Agricultural and In-dustrial Show is a hallmark eventthat has been embedded in theunique culture and the broad fabricsof the Jamaican people from asearly as 1953 to present.

Situated on twenty nine hectaresof picturesque lands at May Pen,Clarendon, the Denbigh Showcomes to life for three days of pul-sating activities offering wholesomeentertainment to over sixty thousandpatrons that have been attending theevent on an annual basis.

Spirits have been lifted and en-thusiasm built for the unforgettableexperience of the grand Expositionthat has been renowned for promot-ing the farmers livelihood, i.e. thefinest quality agricultural producefrom varied commodity groups, itsvalue added products, industrial andtechnological equipment from mainstakeholders affiliated within theagricultural sector.

President, Jamaica Agricultural Society, Norman Grant, displaysa flyer listing the various activities for Denbigh 2013. SenatorGrant was a guest at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ThinkTank held on Wednesday, July 24, at the agencys head office onHalf-Way-Tree Road.


The decision of the 61st Denbigh Agri-cultural and Industrial Show to focus onthe theme Grow What We Eat and EatWhat We Grow must be regarded as an at-tempt to take this important decade long ini-tiative to a new and higher level.

It is clear, the development of Jamaica'sagricultural sector must become the tool tohelp combat the effects of the economicchallenges facing the country. Agriculture,as we have seen in some of the biggesteconomies and developed societies is a driv-ing force for economic prosperity and foodsecurity and the same needs to be the situa-tion for us in Jamaica.

Any prospect of coming to grips with thenations hefty US$1 billion dollar food im-port bill will only materialize if we imple-ment pragmatic measures to increase localagricultural production.

And, with global food prices continuingto rise there is a real threat of further strainon our ability to continue food imports at

such levels. The signs are clear, buying andeating what we grow will go a long way instimulating local production and creating theopportunity for us to become less reliant onimported foods.

One of the areas in which Governmentis playing its part to support the eat Jamaicancampaign is in our decision to set up nineagro parks over the next three years. Theseagro parks will increase agricultural output,reduce the national food import bill andstimulate food exports while at the sametime create direct employment for approxi-mately 1,500 persons. It is an inter-vention aimed at sustainable agriculture andfocus will be placed on the production offoods such as onion, Irish potato, yam andginger. The success however of this initia-tive lies with every Jamaican.

If there is no demand for these foods, theproject cannot enjoy the levels of successanticipated. By consuming more of what isgrown locally, not only are we helping to

create sustainable markets to sell our pro-duce, but also assisting hundreds of farmersand vendors in being gainfully employed.

With all their uphill struggles, I recordmy gratitude to the farmers of this country,the Agriculture Ministry, the Jamaica Agri-cultural Society and its associations for theleadership and development of this vital sec-tor.

I commend The Agriculturalist for play-ing its part by providing our farmers with theinformation and coverage of internationaland local agricultural news, trade and mar-ket information and helping the education ofthe nations farmers.

We have made some gains, and I urgethe farming industry to use the 2013 Den-bigh Show and all other Agricultural Showsto signal to the country and the world thatwe are serious about moving this sector andour country forward.

Portia Simpson MillerPrime Minister

Celebrating the finest of farmerscontribution

Sixty one years since its first staging in1952, the Denbigh Agriculture Showwhich celebrates the finest contribution ofour farmers to national development, re-mains the most eagerly anticipated eventon the JAS calendar.

The outstanding exhibitions of live-stock, agriculture, horticulture, craft andindustrial goods from all fourteen parishesreceive rave reviews annually from hun-dreds of Jamaicans, as well from as visi-tors to our shores, who includerepresentatives of other Caribbean govern-ments and of international agencies.

Each year the Denbigh AgriculturalShow facilitates opportunities for net-working and establishing business rela-tions, as well as for updating informationon farming and agro-processing tech-niques, appropriate technology and energysolutions, among others. This process reaf-firms agriculture as a significant businessventure in the context of the long term mis-sion for the development of a modern, ef-ficient and internationally competitiveagriculture sector in Jamaica.

Since 1895 the Jamaica AgriculturalSociety has been at the forefront of the pro-motion of agriculture, reinforcing its im-portance to the countrys economy. Thisyears Denbigh Show coincides with thetenth anniversary of the Eat JamaicanCampaign and its patriotic and pragmaticmessage to Jamaicans to Grow what weeateat what we grow.

The campaign is a catalyst for food se-curity, rural employment and income-gen-erating opportunities and the reduction ofimport bills. It fosters productive linkageswith other sectors of the economy, con-tributing thus to national development. Ihope that increasingly the message will beinternalized by all Jamaicans.

May you all enjoy an exciting and suc-cessful Denbigh Agriculture Show!

Patrick AllenGovernor General

Stimulating local food production- creating opportunity!

CHMAPION TROPHY: (l-r) JAS presidentNorman Grant; PrimeMinister Portia Simp-son Miller; Agricul-ture Minister RogerClarke and Sales andMarketing Manager -Hi-Pro Division, Ja-maica Broiler Group,Oliver Thompson withthe Hi-Pros chma-pion livestock trophywhich was won by theMInistry at Debigh2013.


Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke (l) raps with Opposition Leader Andrew Holness at Denbigh 2012.

The Denbigh AgriculturalShow, hosted annually by theJamaica Agriculture Society is acalendar activity eagerly antici-pated by every household in Ja-maica.

The show continues to delightfamilies annually and gives ourfarmers an opportunity to show-case the very hard work they havedone. This year's theme, "Growwhat you eat, Eat what you grow"could not have been more rele-vant.

With the country's desperateneed to reduce foreign exchangeexpenditure, there must be furthershifting from imports of producelocally grown, furthering thatpractice which was actively pur-sued by the previous administra-tion. With lifestyle relatedillnesses placing an unprece-dented burden on health care, it iscrucial that our healthy organicproduce become reintegrated asmuch as possible into our localconsumption and be positioned asan internationally marketablebrand in an effort to also boost

our foreign exchange earnings.We have been truly blessed

with agriculturalists who havespent the last century onwardslobbying for, encouraging our is-land to maintain first world prac-tices and standards in agriculture.

The members of the JamaicaAgriculture Society have workedassiduously over the years, in tan-dem with some keen farmers ofour country who have stayed fo-cused on the task of building net-works and maintaininginternational best practices inlocal farming.

The JAS has an urgent needfrontally face the challenges toour local farmers. It is crucial toour country's survival and futurethat at a minimum, our capacityto fulfil the local household andcommercial demand is maxi-mized, and with a worseningeconomy, this holds true for con-sistent and high quality agricul-tural production for export.

Andrew M HolnessLeader of the Opposition

Denbigh Show continuesto delight our families

An opportunity to celebrateagricultural legacy

The Denbigh Agricultural &Industrial Food Show is partof the great tradition of Jamaicaninstitutions. This event, signifi-cantly, forms part of our nationalcelebrations of Emancipation andIndependence and provides uswith an annual opportunity to cel-ebrate our agricultural legacyeven as we recognize the stal-warts and the achievements of thesector.

As on other occasions, theDenbigh Agricultural and Indus-trial Show 2013 also provides uswith yet another opportunity tosound the clarion call for all Ja-maicans to grow what we eat,and eat what we grow. This callcan never be repeated too oftenand, indeed, is even more criticalgiven the tight fiscal space inwhich the country must operateand against the background of thecountrys unsustainable food im-port bill.

In spite of the many chal-lenges we face, we must also em-brace the glorious opportunity

that agriculture offers us to pro-pel and grow the economy. Weare all required to do our partthrough a national effort to growagriculture, increase exports,create jobs and by consumingproduce or goods manufacturedright here in Jamaica. We need allhands on deck to ensure that wegrow agriculture, to grow Ja-maica as we pursue sustainablegrowth and development in orderto secure greater well-being forthis generation and generations tocome.

On this the 61st Anniversaryof the Denbigh AgriculturalShow, I salute the farmers of ourcountry! On behalf of the Min-istry of Agriculture & Fisheries, Icongratulate the JAS and all theorganizers and participants in theshow.

Let us use this specially ex-tended period to celebrate as werenew our commitment and driveto grow what we eat, and eatwhat we grow!

Roger Clarke,Agriculture Minister

Book your Advert Now..Call 923-7471

RADA backyard garden team at the Denbigh Show 2012 in photo (l-r) Dwayne Smith - AgriculturalExtension Officer, RADA St. Catherine, Shernette Spencer, Agricultural Extension Officer, formerlyof RADA St. Andrew, Kavil Howard, Agricultural Extension Officer, RADA Portland and BridgetteWilliams, Training Manager.


Greetings, wen dankey smell cornim gallop. In this century like allthe past centuries we have to appreciateagriculture and its rapid growth and im-provements, especially in technology.waa nuh kill yuh fatten and the accept-ance and embracing of the new advance-ments to the agriculture sector can onlymean great things for our country.

The proverbs Di olda di moon dibrighta it shine and new broom sweepclean can come together and make theold moon shine bright so that the newbroom can see where to sweep clean asboth the old, young, young at heart andthe experienced need to work together tobuild a better Jamaica, agriculturally,such as stemming pradial larceny, de-creasing the rate of agricultural importsto our country, foster more exports aswell as uplifting the keen aspects of agri-culture.

My reign as National Farm Queen

2012-2013 has increased my knowledgeof agriculture while allowing me the priv-ilege to sit at the head of tables in meet-ing that often included avid discussionsin which I was honored to give my opin-

ion on topics I was passionate about in-cluding pradial larceny.

As the agricultural sector is stillplagued by pradial larceny, I charge eachfarmer in Jamaica as well as other agri-cultural stakeholders to continue the fightto eradicate it all together.

The task as farm queen was never al-ways about looking pretty and compli-menting an outfit with the sash, as I had aheavy load to carry as youth agriculturalambassador for Jamaica, plus being a fulltime bachelor degree student, as I tookfull opportunity of the scholarshipawarded to me from the College of Agri-culture Science and Education (CASE)for being crowned queen, but it is saidthat wen man back strang dem ova loadhim crocus bag.

As we move through life wan hand awash d oda let us remember to growwhat we eat and eat what we grow Mekwi eat Jamaican nuh.

The Queen SpeaksAbout Agriculture

By Amelia Leveridge National Queen 2012

National Farm Queen Competition

Since history, women have played a piv-otal role in agricultural activities fromreaping to preparing the food produced.The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS)continues to recognize the significant roleour Jamaican women play in the develop-ment of agriculture in Jamaica.

The National Farm Queen Competitionis just one avenue through which the JASencourages young women to be activelyinvolved in the diverse field of agriculture.

The competition has been an integralpart of the Annual Denbigh Agricultural,Industrial and Food Show, culminating inthe selection of the National Farm Queenand her runners-up during the three dayevent. The goal of the competition is to en-able the selection of a youth Ambassadorfor agriculture and Jamaica, locally and in-ternationally and who will be an outstand-ing role model for other young women.

The women vie for the national title inthis years competition on Monday, August5, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at the Denbigh Show-ground.


Meet the 2013 Farm Queens

MELISSA HENRY, 18Represents St. Mary. Student ofSt. Mary High and It is the great-est of all mistakes to do nothingbecause you can only do little.

JUDEEN HUTCHINSON, 18From St. Elizabeth and a studentof the St. Elizabeth TechnicalHigh School. Her career goal is to become an agronomist.

SHAVELLE VASSELL, 22 From St. Catherine and graduateof CASE with Associates degreein agriculture and a Diploma in agricultural education.

NORDIA LEWIN, 23 Clarendon Farm Queen)

Representing Clarendon and agraduate of CASE. She holds aDiploma and an Associates De-gree in General Agriculture.

CAREEN HANCHARD, 26An agricultural extension

office representing Portland. She is a graduate of CASE andholds an Associates Degree in

General Agriculture.

MISS CINDY ASOBO, 19 Representing St James and a

student of the Montego Bay Com-munity College. She holds a degree in Natural Science.

DYAMOND GORDON, 18 Representing Trelawny and a student of the HEART Trust. Hercareer goal is to become asuccessful Entrepreneur.

KELIAH NEWTON, 25 From Kingston & St. AndrewKingston & St. Andrew and aginger farmer. She aspires tobecome an Attorney-at-law.

RENISHA SAMUELS, 18 Representing Hanover. An AScstudent of CASE. Her philosophyis To whom much is given much

YOULANDA MILLER, 18 She hails from Manchester. Student of the Hydel Group of

Schools. Her goal is to become a Veterinarian.

LASHAUN LUGG, 19 A graduate and former studenttutor of the Browns Town Com-munity College, St. Ann. She as-

TAHERA BROWN, 24 Representing St. Thomas.

A past student of the St. ThomasTechnical High School.

GOLDA GORDON, 18 Representing Westmoreland.

I can do all things through Christwho strengthens me.

By Shelley Stonebrook

Genetically modified organ-isms, or GMOs, are any livingthing that has had its genetic mate-rial altered in some way throughhuman scientific interference. Thisdoes not refer to selective breed-ing, such as when certain cropsare selectively bred by gardenersover time to withstand heat, for in-stance, or the process by which dif-ferent dog breeds were developedover time. Instead, GMOsundergo a form of gene therapyunder lab conditions whereby seg-ments of DNA are spliced, re-arranged or removed altogether.

You may have been eating genet-ically modified food for years andnot even know it.

In the United States, much of thecorn and soybeans produced (es-pecially those to be fed to livestockor to provide filler material inprocessed foods at the supermar-ket) contain some portion of ge-netically modified material.

From cereal and crackers to bak-ing mixes, veggie burgers, andeven milk and cheese, GMOs haveinfiltrated our grocery aisleslargely without much study intotheir long-term health effects onour bodies.

However, The EnvironmentalWorking Group conservatively es-timates that each American con-sumes about 190 pounds of GMfoods every year despite this lackof research. Choosy consumers areworried and getting mad and or-ganized about these potentialhealth impacts:

ALLERGIESPerhaps the number one health

concern over GM technology is itscapacity to create new allergens inour food supply. Allergic reactionstypically are brought on by pro-teins. Nearly every transfer of ge-netic material from one host into anew one results in the creation ofnovel proteins.

Genetic engineering can in-crease the levels of a naturally oc-curring allergen already present ina food or insert allergenic proper-ties into a food that did not previ-ously contain them. It can alsoresult in brand new allergensweve never before known.

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCEGenetic engineers rely heavily

on antibiotics to guide experi-ments. It works like this: Not allhost cells will take up foreigngenes, so engineers attach a traitfor a particular type of antibioticresistance to the gene they intro-duce into host cells.

After theyve introduced thegene into the cells, they douse allthe cells with the antibiotic to seewhich ones survive. The survivingcells are antibiotic-resistant, andtherefore engineers know theyhave taken up the foreign gene.

Overuse of antibiotics can po-

tentially cause the development ofantibiotic-resistant pathogens. Sev-eral health organizations, includingthe World Health Organization andthe American Medical Association,have spoken out about the need forthe use of these antibiotics to bephased out of the process of mak-ing GM foods. Food Patriot SamSpitz harrowing story provides ascary, precautionary warning ofhow antibiotic-resistant super-bugs can affect your health.

PESTICIDE EXPOSUREThe majority of GM crops in

cultivation are engineered to con-tain a gene for pesticide resistance.Most are Roundup Ready, mean-ing they can be sprayed with Mon-santos glyphosate herbicideRoundup without being harmed.

The idea is that if the crop it-self is immune to Roundup, youcan spray it to kill any weeds en-dangering the plant without worry-ing about harming your crop.Sound like a good thing? Only ifincreased human exposure to pes-ticides is a good thing.

Glyphosate has been linked tonumerous health problems in ani-mal studies, among them birth de-fects, reproductive damage, cancerand endocrine disruption.

UNPREDICTABILITYAND THE UNKNOWN

Foreign genetic material in ahost can cause other genetic mate-rial in that host to behave errati-cally. Genes can be suppressed oroverexpressed, causing a wide va-riety of results. One consequenceof overexpression, for example,can be cancer. Nutritional prob-lems can also result from the trans-fer.

In one example, cows that ateRoundup Ready soybeans pro-duced milk with more fat in it. Inanother example, milk from cowsinjected with a genetically engi-neered growth hormone was foundby a number of researchers, in-cluding those published in the jour-nal Lancet, to have substantiallyhigher levels of a compoundknown as insulin-like growth fac-tor-1, which is linked to humanbreast, colon and prostate cancers.

The milk also has higher levelsof bovine growth hormones in it,along with pus and sometimes an-tibiotics. GM crops have beenlinked to health problems as di-verse as reproductive damage, can-cer, Alzheimers disease anddiabetes. Concerned scientistshave been outspoken about theserisks.

DNA is complex, and we haveyet to understand all the potentialcomplex interactions. The poten-tial hazards are difficult to predictand identify immediately. Addi-tionally, the United States regula-tory system is set up to deal withproblems occurring with GM

foods only after they occur. Butwhat if, instead, we invoked theprecautionary principle, an inter-national agreement that calls forintelligent caution when it comesto new science and technologies?

Thankfully, you can protectyourself and your family by takingaction against GMO foods. Chooseorganic foods wherever possiblesupport farms that refuse to growGMO foods, and pressure yourlawmakers to force agriculturecompanies to label GMOs. Theright to know is one we must beoutspoken to protect.


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Providing fertilizer recommendations based onsoil, tissue and water analyses

Supplying PROVEN quality fertilizer with thelatest technology for farmers

Offering the best technology in micronutrientsin our fertilizer blends

Offering additives to enhance Nitrogen andPhosphorus uptake

Visit our booth at DenbighAugust 4 - 6

Potential Health Risks of Eating GMO Foods


Over the past thirteen years the Inter-Amer-ican Institute for Cooperation on Agricul-ture (IICA) office in Jamaica has beenrecognizing excellence among youth in agri-culture.

The Youth in Agribusiness Awards was es-tablished in 1999 by IICA in collaborationwith the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheriesto promote entrepreneurship, innovation, cre-ativity, and employment among youth in theagribusiness sector. The award seeks to awardyoung persons between the ages of 17 34who are making outstanding contributions tolocal agriculture.

The awardees included young persons in-volved in crop production, livestock produc-tion and agro-processing. The young men andwomen, who have received awards under thisprogramme, have demonstrated good agricul-tural practices and an in-depth knowledge intheir field, as well as marketing expertise anda business-savvy approach to running theiragricultural enterprises. They also display apassion and commitment to the sector and arean inspiration to other young persons in theirrural communities.

In 2013, IICA is awarding three dynamicyoung agriculturalists: Fidel Whyte, DamionDickens and Jowayne Robinson.

The three farmers impressed the judgingcommittee with their creativity, business com-petence, adherence to good business, and agri-cultural practices. First place winner, FidelWhyte, for example, has built an office on hisfarm that has internet access and a sophisti-cated records management software to managehis farming enterprise.

In 2012, the award went to Nicholas Pow-ell for crop production. Powell farms a varietyof vegetable and ground provision crops on ap-

proximately 13 acres of land. Although 26year-old Nicholas is a trained engineer, he de-scribes himself as a farmer by birth. He startedfarming at eight years old with one square ofland and has been in the business for the past17 years. He now utilizes drip irrigation, hy-brid seeds, biological pesticides and fungicidesand mulching. He is a sales expert and readilygrades his produce for different market seg-ments and as such is always able to find mar-kets for his produce.

The other 2012 Awardee (for LivestockProduction) Bryan Colin Wright is an inte-gral partner in the operation of a large-scalecattle and pig enterprise. Bryan has contributedsignificantly to the modernization of the fam-ily-owned livestock business in a challengingclimate, through intensive marketing to en-hance product acceptance and catering to cus-tomer demands.

Whyte, Powell and Wright are just a fewexamples of the over 25 Youth in AgribusinessAwardees, who have demonstrated that thereis indeed a bright future for agriculture in Ja-maica.

IICAs Youth in Agribusiness Awards

Damion Dickens Jowayne Robinson Fidel Whyte

Nicholas and Bryan

PIMENTO

Jamaican Pimento is of the highest quality interms of its oil content, aromatic and flavorprinciples and market presentation. The Pi-mento industry consistently earns over US$5million annually, from Pimento Berry, PimentoLeaf Oil, Pimento Berry oil and other high-value products. The industry also creates an op-portunity for a niche market in themanufacturing of products such as Jerk Sea-soning, mixed spices and Pimento Liqueur.

GINGER

The global market for ginger stands at someUS$290 million, with the USA and Eng-land accounting for US$37 and US$ 18 million,respectively. The Ministry is building capacityin the industry so as to increasyields, leading tomore competitive pricing. The Ministrys Pro-duction and Productivity Improvement Pro-gramme is facilitating: commercial production

of diseasefree ginger planting material fromtissue culture plantlets; introducing technolog-ically-sound production, harvesting and pro-cessing techniques; providing soil-testingservices as part of good agricultural practices;and developing alternative irrigation infrastruc-ture to match the profile of gingerproducingareas, and chemically profiling Jamaican gin-ger as a strategic marketing tool

TURMERIC

In addition to unmet local market demandfrom agroprocessors, global trade. To fasttrack the development of the local turmeric in-dustry the Export Division is: producingplanting material to supply the industry; mobi-lizing producers to increase output under verti-cally integrated projects; coordinatingproductive projects to link turmeric suppliersand buyers in the domestic market; Evaluatinglocal turmeric genetics to select high-yielding

planting material with the most desirable chem-ical profiles; evaluating lowcost alternativeturmeric drying and polishing technology tosupply to the industry; and installing a state-of-the-art centralizedprocessing facility.

NUTMEG

Global demand for nutmeg increased fromUS$101 million in 2005 to US$119 mil-lion in 2009. Export demand for Jamaican nut-meg is strong. However, markets are untappeddue to supply-side constraints. To develop alocal nutmeg industry the Division is providingearly-maturing, high-yielding planting materialand technical support to farmers.

Building a Sustainable Spice Industry

For further information contactEXPORT DIVISION, MINISTRY OFAGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES

P.O. Box 504, Marcus Garvey, Kingston Tel: 923-8878 923-8957 Fax: 901-3307 E-mail: [email protected]


HEALTHY LIVING

NutriCareBy Gloria Bent, MS, RD, CDN

NutritionistQuestions &Comments [email protected]

For Further Information:

Advisory Services Department

COFFEE INDUSTRY BOARD1 Willie Henry Drive Kingston 13, Jamaica W.I.

Email: [email protected] Tel: (876)7581259 Fax (876)7583907

www.ciboj.org

Spend at least 1 hour a daybeing physically active Eat at least 5 fruits and veg-etables everday Snack on health foods and noton junk food and sweets Drink at least 8-10 glasses ofwater a day Eat a variety of nutrient richfoods Avoid greasy and fried foods Spend less than 2 hours a daywatching tv and/or playingvideo games

Eat moderate portionsEat slowly Dont skip meals

COFFEELEAF RUST

Is caused by a fungus-Hemileia vastatrix. Is one of the most devastating and widespread disease of coffee worldwide.

Has wiped out coffee in what is now known as Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

10 WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

Maintain healthy eating habits. Avoid fad diets like the plague; to get allthe nutrition the human body needs, eatcarbs, protein, and fat (yes, even fat!) atevery meal. By doing so, you'll have ahealthy heart, healthy brain, and a fullyfunctional immune system. Eating highlyvaried foods will also help insure you getall the vitamins, minerals, oils, and en-zymes your body craves.

To lose weight, you must burnmore calories than you consume.Thats all there is to it. With the exceptionof sweets, eliminating one area of the foodpyramid from your diet wont replace theneed to simply consume fewer calories.

Avoid skipping meals, which is hard on the body

Some people even recommend eating upto 6 mini meals a day instead of 3 largeones, which can sustain energy and steadyblood-sugar levels; however, many peopleend up turning their mini meals into junkfood sessions and end up consuming notjust more calories, but emptier ones. Behonest with yourself before making thischoice.

If you want to work on portion control,eat low energy-density foods (i.e. moresubstance, fewer calories). Fruits and veg-etables, for example, are packed with notonly vitamins and minerals, but also waterand fiber, making them take longer to di-gest and keeping you full longer.

Drink more water This helps flush metabolic wastes to keepyour metabolism in top shape.[6] Watercan also help you feel fuller, so drink atleast a half-gallon (2 liters) of water everyday (or more if you are active or live in ahot climate).

Sleep well every nightAdults should get 7 to 9 hours daily,whereas school-aged children should get10 to 11. One of the absolute most impor-tant ways of improving the quality of yoursleep is to do it in complete darkness, aseven small amounts of light interfere withthe chemicals that tell your body to rest.[8]If you cant eliminate the light in yourroom, wear an eye mask. Another one ofthe best ways to improve your sleep is toexercise.

Sleeping is also a good way to preventovereating. A study by The American Jour-nal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated thatmen who only slept for 4 hours consumed,on average, 500 more calories than theydid after sleeping for 8.

Stick to an exercise regimenIf you dont want to pay for a gym mem-bership, try strength-training at home. Themuscle you develop will help increaseyour metabolism: the bodies of muscularpeople burn more calories even whiletheyre at rest. To keep your heart in shape,do cardio. One particularly effective wayto improve your cardiovascular health is todo interval training, which means alternat-ing between low- and high-intensity activ-ity.

How to Keep HealthyBy Kelly Huynh, Travis Derouin, Nicole Willson

the agriculturalist - august 2013 (denbigh 2013)

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