VOL.22 NO. 6 • DECEMBER 2011 FREE COPY WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

CHAMPION EXTENSION LEADERS:(l­r) Donald Robinson, Most Outstanding Parish Manager, Howard O’Hara; Most Out­standing Deputy Parish Manager and Reginald Scott, Most Outstanding Lifestock Officerat the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) staff Awards Ceremony held onWednesday (December 14) in Kingston.

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365­2054

President of the Jamaica Agri­cultural Society, Glendon Harris,conceded that neither the JamaicaLabour Party (JLP) nor the People’sNational Party (PNP) have doneenough, in budgetary allocation tothe agricultural sector comparedwith tourism, manufacturing andother productive sectors.

“The farm roads, irrigationnetworks, inadequate extensionservices, poor marketing and lackof access to credit continue toplague farmers,” Harris noted. Har­ris, who is also a Councillor in theSt James Parish Council represent­ing the opposition PNP, is howeverexpecting agriculture to be a prior­ity for both political parties.

Chairman of theAll­Island Ba­nana Growers Association(AIBGA), Gerthel Sessing, saidfarmers, especially banana growers,are expecting the next administra­tion to aggressively facilitate the re­suscitation of the industry and putin place appropriate regulations tocurtail the importation of bananaproducts.

Chairman of the Jamaica CaneFarmers Association, AllanRickards, charged that none of Ja­maica’s Ministers of Agriculturesince independence has been suc­cessful in getting the support oftheir Cabinet colleagues.

“We are not seeking handoutsor subsidies,we are always seekingproduction incentives similar towhat are given to other industries,”Rickards explained.

The chairman, who representssome 35,000 cane farmers, said thegovernment should remove upfrontpayment of GCT from all farm in­puts, and a tax rebate for diesel oil.“The ‘token support’ will not helpto achieve sustainable growth inagricultural production,” he de­clared.

Donald Salmon, vice­presi­dent, Jamaica Coffee Growers As­sociation, said farmers areexpecting Government to addressthe ongoing problems, includingthe unreliable marketing of severalagricultural commodities, espe­cially coffee and cocoa.

“Government should developa better partnership with the farm­ers to better address the issues,”Salmon noted.

In their manifesto, the People’sNational Party (PNP) promised tofocus on increased food security.The objective of food security as­sumes increased significance forsmall island states such as Jamaica,which are net importers of food.

The Jamaica Labour Party(JLP) noted that the most com­pelling priorities for agriculture areraising the level of productivity,through the use of technology andimproved farming practices andproviding better access to markets.The JLP is committed to aggres­sively promoting the use of proventechnology to increase yield, im­prove quality and rationalize theuse of scarce water. ���������� �������������������

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Farm LeadersWant MoreCommitment

By Patrick Maitland, Editor­ The Agriculturalist

With Jamaica’s General Election scheduled for December 29,2011, farm leaders are expecting more resources and protec­

tion from the political party which forms the next government.

Deadlinefor Jamaica

Citrus Growersbids extendedThere has been a one month ex­

tension of the deadline for thesubmission of bids for the acquisi­tion of Jamaica Citrus GrowersLimited.The entity’s receiver/manager

has announced that the date hasbeen changed from December 19to January 27.Jamaica Citrus Growers, which

is a subsidiary of the Jamaica Cit­rus Growers Association, is engaged in the processing, packagingand marketing of citrus productsand the production of chilled bev­erages under the “Juciful” label.The factory is based on seven

acres of land in Bog Walk, St.Catherine.

22 • THE AGRICULTURALIST •  DECEMBER  2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

   

   

            

                      

‘Grow and EatOrganically’

Distributors of:

•Ecklonia Kelp Plant Stimulant•KelpPlus Fish Emulsion Fertilizer

For more info and to order your products:Tel: 390­5382 • 328­0027 or E­mail: info@eckogap.com

www.eckogap.com

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM DECEMBER 2011 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 3

EDITORIAL PAGE

Jamaica’s annual food import bill is nowat an all time high of over US$800 mil­lion. This came as a result of a number ofchallenges that have been facing farmers,including policies implemented by suc­cessive governments during the past 40years.

Starting in the 1970s, the governmentfarm policies were too political to impactpositively on production. Project LandLease was introduced in 1973, and sawthe redistribution of over 18,000 hectaresand promised to help more than 23,000farmers. People saw the project then as in­adequate and containing marginally arableland, highly uneconomical and partisan inpolitical terms.

The redistribution of land in the1970s also emphasized cooperative own­ership, a decision that sharply increasedthe number of cooperatives and mademembers an important political force.With sporadic marginal growth in domes­tic food production, traditional crops, in­cluding banana, sugar, cocoa and coffeeas well as livestock, started to decline.

Government policies toward landtenure and land use shifted in the 1980s infavor of privatization, commercialization

and modernization of agriculture. Sugarcooperatives were dismantled, some gov­ernment holdings were divested and for­eign investment was sought to updatefarming methods and help develop newproduct lines, or "nontraditional exports."

Agro­21 was established in 1983 tospearhead the new agriculture policies,and aimed to put 80,000 hectares of idleland into the hands of the private sector.

It was during the period of the 1980sthat the government started the trade lib­eration policy, in keeping with the UnitedStates, IMF and World Bank conditional­ity for loans and grant support.

Government subsidies on fertilizer,feeds and other farm inputs were signifi­cantly removed, while farmers were ex­posed to unfair competitions fromimported farm foods.

The 1990s could be described as theworst period for Jamaican agriculture, asit was during this period that the govern­ment liberalized trade and removed mostimports restrictions.

Those policies did not help local pro­duction, as the market was flooded withsubsidized meat, milk and vegetables.

It was not until the start of 2000s thatgovernment start to take action to modifythe policy to restrict imports. But, wecannot blame the government alone forimplementing bad farm policies.

Our farm leaders were also responsi­ble as, in most cases, they did not showany form of serious objection, as it wouldhave affected their relationship with theirrespective political parties and govern­ment ministers. In some cases, farm andother business leaders also benefited per­sonally from cheap farm imports and di­vested lands.

On December 29, 2011, Jamaicanswill be going to the polls to elect a newgovernment. Farmers should use the op­portunity to influence the process by sup­porting those candidates that support theinterest of farmers. This could be difficult,as a candidate may be a strong farm ad­vocate but his or her party leadership failto comply.

We are therefore urging farmers toget updated on the issues in agricultureand vote for those candidates that supportagriculture and local food production.

by

PATRICK MAITLANDPublisher ­The Agriculturalisteditor@theagriculturalist.com

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 editor@theagriculturalist.com. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all articles will be published.

FFFFooooccccaaaallll     PPPPooooiiiinnnntttt

Vote for Candidates Who Support Agriculture!

Publisher: Patrick Maitland

Admin/Advertising Director:Susan Wissant

Advertising Executives:Nordia Paul; Bernadette Kerr  

Consulting Editors: Vincent Wright, Jairzenho Bailey

Produced & Published by:Agri Life FoundationAMC Complex,

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

agriculturalist@gmail.comeditor@theagriculturalist.comwww.theagriculturalist.com

PPEEOOPPLLEE  AARREETTAALLKKIINNGG.... ..!!

SSeenndd  ccoommmmeennttss  ttoo::

eeddiittoorr@@tthheeaaggrriiccuull ttuurraalliisstt..ccoomm

Tomato grownfrom the wall

of houseThis is a copy of tomato grown from thiswall of house where I oversee and live.Quite likely there could be a hole abovethe plant came out of the wall very smalland gradually increase in size. I tie it asit grows. I put no fertilizer nothing but rain thatwet the out plant a bit run down on thewall.How seed get into wall can’t say andhow long it was there for. Possibly Ratcarry the seed. Photo shown 2 ripe toma­toes  and  it  hold  3  size  tomatoes  andyoung ones. The house is white lime onmall as appear. 

O. MessamMount Pleasant, Balaclava

St. ElizabethCell: 506­3643

The Agri Pages 3­6:The Agri page ­1­2  12/20/11  2:03 PM  Page 1

44 • THE AGRICULTURALIST  •  AUGUST 2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

NEWS

OOnn  bbeehhaallff  ooff  tthhee  SShhaarreehhoollddeerrss,,   MMaannaaggeemmeenntt  tteeaamm  aanndd  SSttaaffff  ooff  tthhee  MMaavviiss  BBaannkk  ccooffffeeee  FFaaccttoorryy  LLiimmiitteedd,,  wwee  wwoouulldd  lliikkee

ttoo  eexxtteenndd  wwaarrmm  CChhrriissttmmaass  ggrreeeettiinnggss  ttoo  tthhee  oouurr  vvaalluueedd  ffaarrmmeerrssaanndd  ccuussttoommeerrss..   WWiitthhoouutt  yyoouu,,  22001111  ccoouulldd  nnoott  hhaavvee  bbeeeenn  tthhee  

ssuucccceessss  iitt  wwaass!!  MMaayy  yyoouu  eennjjooyy  aa  MMeerrrryy  CChhrriissttmmaass  aanndd  mmaayyGGoodd��ss  ggrraaccee  bbee  wwiitthh  yyoouu  aanndd  yyoouurrss,,  nnoott  oonnllyy  oonn  tthhiiss  

CChhrriissttmmaass  DDaayy  bbuuttaallll  tthhrroouugghhoouutt  tthhee  NNeeww  YYeeaarr!!!!  

MMeerrrryy  CChhrriissttmmaass  aanndd  aa  PPrroossppeerroouuss  aanndd  bbrriigghhtt  22001122!!!!GGoodd  BBlleessss!!

FFrroomm  SSeennaattoorr  NNoorrmmaann  WW..  GGrraannttMMaannaaggiinngg  DDiirreeccttoorr  aanndd  CCEEOO

MMaavviiss  BBaannkk  CCooffffeeee  FFaaccttoorryy  LLiimmiitteedd

          

FARM TRACTOR: Agriculture Minister Robert Montague (2nd l) inspects a hand­operated tractor supplied under the ALBA Alimentos Input SuppliesProject. The equipment was on display at a ceremony held on Tuesday  (December 6) at  Hope Gardens, Kingston 6. Also in photoJonathan Roye of  Machines and Parts Export LLC (Mapex), distributors of  the tractor (1st l); Novell Quest, RADA Chairman (3rd l);Richard Powell, president/CEO of  Mapex (4th l); Donovan Stanberry, Permanent secretary ministry of  Agriculture and Josh Nelson,principal, Knockalva Agricultural School. 

              

                  

        

                     

           

                                               

     

          

       

The Agri Pages 3­6:The Agri page ­1­2  12/20/11  2:03 PM  Page 2

CChhrriissttmmaass GGrreeeettiinnggaanndd BBeesstt WWiisshheess

Sugar IndustrySuffering

From IllicitCane Fires

Over 8,000 tonnes of sugarcane on three estates have

been burnt illicitly.The local sugar industry contin­

ues to reel from the destruction ofcane fields due to illicit burning.Pan­Caribbean Sugar Company,

which acquired some of the state­owned factories says the problemis affecting fields in Westmore­land, Clarendon and St. Catherineand is threatening the livelihoodof thousands of persons as well asthe stability of communities.In a notice in the press, the com­

pany said 8,500 tonnes of sugarcane on three estates have beenburnt illicitly in addition to rootlosses amounting to US$2 mil­lion.In the meantime, Allan

Rickards, Chairman of theAll­Is­land Jamaica Cane FarmersAsso­ciation, says he is not convincedthat the Government is doingenough to address the problem.

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM DECEMBER 2011 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 5

NEWS

He noted how import re­strictions in both Russia andChina were resulting in ‘ahuge backlog of supplies’,including ‘a huge accumula­tion of dark (chicken) meat’,with American exportershaving opted to dispose ofthis accumulated surplus ‘inits own backyard, theCaribbean’. Until 2008 Rus­sia was the world’s largestpoultry importer, however,imports have been severelycurtailed since then.In 2011, imports are ex­

pected to fall a further 30%compared to 2010, takingimport levels down to onlyone­third of those prevailingin 2008.The situation in the

Caribbean is of course com­pounded by its ‘unfortunateposition of being located be­tween Brazil to the southand the United states to thenorth who are the twolargest exporters of poultryproducts in the world’. Inthis context, DrAli said ‘theindustry in the Caribbeannow has to look for ways todeal with the cheap importsfrom the USA’. In theCaribbean, ‘the poultry sec­tor is one of the largest sub­sectors in agriculturegenerating about US $650million in sales annually’.As part of the response to

the threat from US importsand rising and volatileglobal cereals prices, theCPA is seeking to developregional production andtrade in poultry feed.

It has been estimated thatthe ‘region’s poultry feed re­quirements … could be pro­duced on 100,000 hectares’,with such land available inBelize and Guyana.In June 2011 on the

fringes of CPA meetings inBelize, discussions wereheld between CPA boardmembers, the Belize CornCouncil, concerned port au­thorities and logistical serv­ice suppliers.Apilot shipment of 10,000

tonnes of feed maize is nowscheduled to be delivered tothe Jamaican poultry indus­try in 2012.The experience of the Be­

lize poultry sector, which inthe 1990s began to developintegrated poultry produc­tion (producing feed crops,establishing feed mills andsmall­scale integrated poul­try production and process­ing units) is illustrative ofthe potential for develop­ment of the poultry sectoracross the Caribbean region.‘Belize is now self suffi­

cient in broiler meat, tableeggs, turkey meat and hatch­ing eggs for broilers andabout 80% for layers’. Theconcerted action of the or­ganised Belize Poultry As­sociation in dealing with thegovernment on the issue ofimports has been noted bythe regional CPA, and a pro­gramme of action for engag­ing with regional andnational authorities is beingdeveloped.

PoultryProducers

Concern aboutUSA Imports

““WWee  DDiidd  IItt””  (l­r) Fisheries of­fices in the MoAF,TaChala Beecherand Farrah Hanselalong with Directorfor the AquacultureBranch, Avery Gal­braith­Smikle tooksome time to showthe certificatesthey received aftersuccessfully com­pleting a four­dayACP Fish IIProgramme Network training heldrecently inKingston.

According to Dr Desmond Ali, Executive Director ofthe Caribbean Poultry Association  (CPA),  the  re­

gion’s poultry  industry  is  ‘under  threat because of  thehuge amount of imports mainly from the USA’. 

                    

                             

The Agri Pages 3­6:The Agri page ­1­2  12/20/11  2:04 PM  Page 3

Grant heads MOA Praedial 

Larceny ProgramReginald Grant, retired assistant Commissionerof Police (ACP) is the new praedial larcenyprevention coordinator. His appointment,which took effect on Tuesday, December 6,comes more than seven months after retired Ja­maica Defence Force (JDF) officer LieutenantColonel Paul Dunn quit the post in April.

66  • THE AGRICULTURALIST • DECEMBER  2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

CCAAKKEE  FFOORR  TTHHEE  MMIINNIISSTTEERR::Agriculture Minister Robert Montague ( 5th l) assists a 4H Clubbite  to cut a cake on display at the Eat Jamaican held at Den­bigh Showgrounds recently. Also in photo JAS vice­president, Norman Grant (1st l), JAS president, Glendon Harris (9th l) andnational farm queen, Sharna­Gay Brown (1st r). 

‘To Make The Best Better’

Providing Training For TheNation's Youths (Age 5­25)Creating Better Leaders For Tomorrow

The Agri Pages 3­6:The Agri page ­1­2  12/20/11  7:13 PM  Page 4

JAMAICA 4H CLUB FOCUS

THE JAMAICA 4­H CLUBS

THE JAMAICA 4­H CLUBS95 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, Jamaica WI

Tel: 927­4050­2 • Fax: 978­3209E­mail: jamaica.4h@cwjamaica.com• Website: www.jamaica4hclubs.com

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM DECEMBER 2011 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 7

EGAP Enterprise Ltd “eckogap” re­cenlty announced the launch of twoof seven new and unique Kelp (Sea­

weed) Products­Ecklonia Kelp Plant Stim­ulant and KelPlus Anchovy Fish EmulsionFertilizer.The Kelp products was developed using aunique patented cell burst technology, in­cluding ultra high frequency sound and ultraviolet light technology.The differences with our Products, asagainst other fertilizer companies, are ourMechanical Cell­Shear Process technology,how we formulate and produce our prod­ucts. Our process avoids heat, dehydration,chemical digestion, and freezing of the rawmaterial.The resulting product contains and retainsall the compounds found in fresh, naturalkelp, in a viable, biologically active form.We are very excited by their ability to:•Increase root mass, vegetation growthand flowering;•Improve plant’s tolerance to heat, mak­ing them drought resistant;•Increase natural resistance to insects andfungal attacks;•Lower NPK and Higher Yields whencompare with other fertilizers with higherNPK;•Make the Environment and Earth ahealthier place;These products can be purchased in farmstores islandwide, like Spanish Town FarmStore; Gateway Farm Store, Old Harbour;Yallahs Agriculture Supplies; St. ThomasFarm Store; Carib Agro Distributors storesisland­wide; Green Island Hardware’s,Hanover; J.A.S regional offices islandwideand small farm stores islandwide.They are certified as 100% Organic andmay be used on all crops or plants regard­less of the varied climate or soil condition.They have a proven yield potential of 20­40% above the normal yields on all crops, andon some crops up to 70%. Farmers will ben­efit immensely from these products whichwill, in turn, help the consumers, environ­ment and the economy.The products have been tested on manycrops, in all the parishes, and are currentlybeing tested to resolve the greening bacteriafound in citrus plants throughout Jamaica.While these products are not repellants, wehave seen tests in other countries wherethey have eradicated or minimized bacteria,fungus, and insects, allowing the plants togrow and produce above average yields.The various tests done locally, thus far,have concurred with the facts and data fromother countries. One example; tests at theMavis Bank Coffee Factory have shown 95­98%, A Grade, using Ecklonia Kelp andKelPlus have eradicate the Coffee berryborer.This and many other insects, funguses andbacteria the Kelp products have eradicated,prevent or minimize them from affectingcrops (natural pest control program). There­fore, if we want to enhance our food pro­duction while protecting our environment,

then the Kelp products are the only naturaland clean working solution. Our productsare not only stimulants and fertilizers butthey act like repellants. Most people articu­late what we do “we are suppliers of organicproducts etc…." That may be true, but why

we do it is to help our farmers, landscapers,and horticulturalists increase productionwhile cutting their costs. Making farmersand consumers lives better is our ultimategoal. That is why we have invested prod­ucts, time and money in educating farmers

and working on projects in schools andcommunities.Therefore let’s “Grow and Eat Organi­cally” for a better and healthier life­style –“eckogap” is the way. www.eckogap.com

­Contributed

NEWS

EGAP releases excitingand innovative new products

Kelp (Seaweed) Products­Ecklonia Kelp Plant Stimulant and KelPlus Anchovy Fish Emulsion Fertilizer.

PRODUCTS TALK:Roy Page president and CEO of EGAP Enterprise Ltd (l) talks about the Kelp products to Agriculture MinisterRobert Montague (2nd r) along with National Farm Queen 2011, Sharna­Gaye Brown (3rd l); JAS president, Glen­don Harris (4th l) and vice­president Norman Grant at the recent “Eat Jamaican Day” celebration held at Denbighshowgrounds, Clarendon.

88 • THE AGRICULTURALIST •  SEPTEMBER 2011  WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

Reprinted From the 2011 Manifesto of The Jamaica Labour Party

Since 2007, the agriculture sector has expe­rienced consistent growth except for peri­ods of adverse weather. The average growth indomestic food production over the last 4 yearperiod is 17%. The most compelling priorities for agricul­ture  are  raising  the  level  of  productivity,through the use of technology and improvedfarming practices and providing better accessto markets. The Jamaica Labour Party is committed to: • Aggressively promoting  the use of proventechnology (e.g. green house, hydroponics, tis­sue  culture  etc.)  to  increase  yield,  improvequality and rationalize the use of scarce water.• Providing training and technical support toensure that farmers master the application ofnew technologies.

A Better Extension of ServicesRestoring and expanding agricultural exten­sion  services which  have  been  severely  de­pleted,  to  ensure  the  effective  transfer  oftechnology and application of modern practice.In 2007, the ratio of farmers to extension offi­cers was 3000:1. Through the restructuring ofRADA, there was a doubling of the number ofextension officers. The ratio now stands at ap­proximately 1,500 farmers to 1 extension offi­cer. 

Improved Pest and Disease ControlImproving the capabilities for pest and diseasecontrol by stricter quarantine procedures, andspeedier detection and corrective practices.

Promotion of Organic FarmingProviding technical and financial support fororganic farming, to exploit the growing inter­national  market  for  organically  producedfoods, supported by the introduction of an or­

ganic farming policy.

Promotion of Exotic Crops:Promoting the cultivation and export market­ing of exotic crops including pimento, nutmegand tumeric, along with medicinal and culinaryherbs and spices, in a strategic programme in­tegrated with the Brand Jamaica Campaign.Development of a Cold Chain through theProvision of Refrigeration Facilities; Estab­lishing strategically located refrigeration facil­ities,  to  extend  the  shelf  life  of  farmers’produce and improve marketing possibilities.

Improved Market IntelligenceImproving the gathering and timely dissemi­nation  of  marketing  information  to  providefarmers with  the best options  for marketingtheir produce.

Improved Selection, Grading and Packaging Practices

Providing training for farmers in proper selec­tion, grading and packaging practices, to moreeffectively synchronize farm production withmarket requirements.

Incentives for Agro­ProcessorsProviding incentives for agro­processors to ex­tend the market for agricultural produce andprovide greater predictability and price stabil­ity for farmers.

Affordable Loans for FarmersContinuing to increase the availability of low­interest loans to farmers through the People'sCooperative (PC) banks, to ensure that they are

able to meet the required capital investmentsto adopt new technologies.

Land Titling ProcessLAMP and LAND Programmes

• Amending the Registration of Titles Act tosimplify the registration of untitled land, wherethe claimant has been in possession for a spec­ified minimum period of time, where owner­ship is not in dispute and can be confirmed byevidence.•  Establishing  community  land  tribunals  toconsider applications for registration and, afteradequate public notification, to conduct hear­ings and, if satisfied that the right of ownershiphas been established, to issue a certificate ofownership.

Irrigation ExpansionImproving existing and establishing new irri­gation schemes to increase the acreage of landavailable for high­productivity farming.• Development of Irrigation Schemes throughNational Irrigation Master Development Plan(NIDP)• 486 hectares of land has been brought underirrigation at Hounslow, and 214.6 hectares arenow in production, as a result of the rehabili­tation of the Hounslow system.

Protection and Strengthening of the Livestock Sector

• Instituting measures to protect and expandthe livestock sector and to improve productiv­ity with a view to capturing a greater share ofthe domestic market.• Providing the necessary protection to milkproducers to mitigate the effects of subsidizedimported milk solids. This is to be monitoredby the Jamaica Dairy Development Board.

Expansion of AquacultureExpanding the aquaculture industry, especiallyfor the export market, and promoting the pro­duction of new species to replicate the successachieved with the tilapia.

Improved Management of Marine FishingEstablishing a comprehensive programme toimprove the management of the marine fishingindustry including:• More vigilant efforts to stem illegal fishingin Jamaican waters.• Careful monitoring of our fish population andstricter control measures to prevent overfish­ing and the depletion of fish stock by regulat­ing  the  size  and weight  of  fish  that  can  beharvested.•  Implementation  of  an  environmental  pro­gramme to stop the pollution of our sea waterand the use of dynamite and chemicals to reapfish, and to reverse the damage being done toour fish nurseries and coral reefs.

Intensifying Efforts to Combat Praedial Larceny

Reorganizing, retraining, equipping and rede­ploying district constables, to be a more effec­tive force in combating praedial larceny. Thereis ongoing dialogue with stakeholders to refineplans to enforce traceability of possession.

• Redevelopment of the rice industry – thisprogramme was launched in September 2009as part of the Food Security and Import Sub­stitution Programme. The target is to replace25,000 tonnes (25%) of rice imports in the fu­ture.

• Establishment of the Agricultural Devel­opment Fund (ADF) to Facilitate AgriculturalDevelopment.  This fund will have a target of$120 million annually and will be used in fund­ing initiatives that will either modernize or de­velop the industry.

JAMAICA ELECTIONS FEATURE The JLP Launches the ‘New Agricultural Revolution’

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Reprinted From the 2011 Manifesto of The People’s National PartyWhilst it is the intention of the PNP

Administration  to  diversify  theeconomy at a faster pace, by ex­

ploiting the opportunities a forded in “new”sectors such as ICT, there is no question thatagriculture will remain one of the main planksof the national economy. However, the socioeconomic development

of rural Jamaica is inextricably linked to thegrowth and modernisation of the agriculturalsector. In this regard, the next PNP Adminis­tration  will  focus  greater  attention  on  in­creased food security.The Administration will focus on the fol­

lowing:1. Development of starch derived from roots

and  tubers  to  support  the  carbohydrate  re­quirement of the nation. This support will pro­mote  the expansion of production of sweetand irish potatoes, cassava, yam and bananasthrough incentives such as the supply of in­puts, extension service and research. An ob­jective of this programme is the production offlour  from  these  products  which  could  bemixed with imported wheat in the productionof a variety of products. The Administration will  take  the  lead  by

mandating  the  involvement  of  the  school­feeding programme as well as other state in­stitutions such as hospitals and prisons.2. The development and expansion of herbs

such as mint and cerasee, which are used inthe expanding tea manufacturing subsector,which now sources herbs extra­regionally. Ja­maica has the potential to produce in quanti­ties to satisfy the needs of CARICOM.3. Resuscitation of the fruit tree crop pro­

gramme under which government providesseedlings, loans and grants for land prepara­tion to qualified farmers.4. The orientation of investment promotion

activities to exploit the potential of the exportof roots, tubers, herbs, spices and fresh veg­etables. This could be facilitated by the pro­motion  of  strategic  partnerships  withwholesale and retail outlets in North Americaand Europe with producers in Jamaica.5. The Administration through RADA, will:

i. Organise farmers to produce for export atthe requisite quality and consistency, throughthe  provision  of  proper  technical  advisoryservices.ii. Collaborate with the major retail chains

to partner with farmers.iii. Continue the construction of ‘packing

houses’ and offer these to interested investorswho are willing to contract with farmers.6. Develop farmsteads for young graduates

of agricultural institutions. 

These farmsteads would comprise a starter­housing unit on 5­10 acres equipped with ir­rigation and other infrastructure necessary formodern farming activities. The production onthe farmsteads would be driven by availablemarkets which the government will assist theyoung farmers to identify.7. Continue the implementation of the Na­

tional  Irrigation Development Plan  (NIDP)which was formulated and approved by Cab­inet in 1998. This is critical to combating theimpact  of  climate  change  and  overcomingmarginal productivity associated with rain­fedagriculture.  8. Promulgation of policy positions as fol­

lows:i) A National Food Security Policy consistentwith the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) guidelines that focus on:• Food availability • Food accessibility• Food Safety • Effective Utilisation and Con­sumption • Stabilityii) A National Fisheries Policy• Resuscitating inland fisheries• Legislation to eliminate poaching• Revisit importation policyiii) A Policy on Apicultureiv) A Policy on Nutraceuticalsv) Policy on Genetically­Modified Foods• Public awareness of safety factorvi) Policy on Nutrition of Children in Pub­

lic Schools, to improve dietary offerings andmaking use of local produce and products.9. Finalise the Praedial Larceny Prevention

Programme.10. Develop and implement a strategic pro­

gramme to, resuscitating conserve and facili­tate  the  orderly  development  of  a  viableruminant Livestock Sector.

LandThe issue of land titling will be given greaterfocus to encourage more land owners to se­cure  titles  for  their  properties,  and  therebystimulate more productive use. Several strate­gies have been used, under the Land Admin­istration Management Programme (LAMP) toinfluence land titling; however, the responseto it has been slow. The new PNP Adminis­tration will continue to foster the progressiveagenda for land titling, through ongoing edu­cation programmes; and direct interventionsat the community level, as well as to stream­line the actual process..

JAMAICA ELECTIONS FEATURE The PNP’s ‘Agriculture and Rural Development’ Plans

The mission of Agri Life Foundation is to enhance the social and economic wellbeing of farmers as well as to build awareness, understanding and a positive public

perception of agriculture  and the environment.

Patrick Maitland, Agri Life Foundation188 Spanish town Road, Kingston 11, Jamaica WITel: 923­7471; 923­7428 • patland2000@gmail.com 

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••   Environmentally Friendly Pest Control Measures:­Controlling the Berry Borer with the  Rustic Traps­ Re­emphasizing Stripping

• Helps to  minimize the negative impact to the fragile eco­system of the Blue Mountains.

••   Increased production and high­quality berries

••  Major reduction in pest control cost

For further information contact: 

Advisory Services UnitCoffee Industry BoardWillie Henry Drive,  Kingston 15

758­3903 or 758­1259

IInnccrreeaassee  PPrroodduuccttiioonn  wwiitthhEEccoo­­FFrriieennddllyySSttrraatteeggiieess

The US is to cut its estimate for corn ex­ports to the lowest in 14 years, and lowerhopes for soybean shipments too, to reflectthe country's emergence as "an island of highprices" for many crops.The US Department of Agriculture's De­cember Wasde  reports,  of which  the  latestedition is due later on Friday, are typicallyviewed as among the less exciting of the flag­ship series of reports, making no changes his­torically  to data on US crop area, yield orproduction.And this time, the consensus view is for areport which makes little change to US grainsdata, with the estimate for wheat stocks at theclose of 2011­12 expected to see a 2m­bushelrise, and for corn inventories seen likely to betrimmed by 12m bushels to 831m bushels."No significant changes are expected to thecorn balance sheets," Luke Mathews at Com­

monwealth Bank of Australia said.Don Roose, president of US Commodities,said there was a risk of the report being over­shadowed by a top­level European meetingto discuss the eurozone crisis, saying the "realconcerns is what is happening with the worldright now".However, weeks of disappointing US cornexport data – before a solid 708,000­tonnefigure, old crop and new combined, releasedon Thursday – have raised ideas that USDAstatisticians could cut their forecast for full­season shipments, meaning higher suppliesof the grain at the close of 2011­12.Range  of  forecasts:  712m­899m  bushelsUS sales commitments of some 22m tonnesare down 3% year on year, and even furtherbehind the 2006­2010 average of more than24m tonnes, according to Australia & NewZealand Bank data.

(CNN) ­­ 

The world's chocolate makers may spe­cialize in delivering a sweet taste butthe government of the Ivory Coast is seek­ing to address what it sees as the bitter treat­ment of the farmers who grow the industry'sraw materials.The West African nation was the world'sbiggest cocoa producer ­­ which is the mainingredient in chocolate ­­ between 2009 and2010, rearing some 1.19 million tons of thecrop according to the International CocoaOrganization (ICCO).

Thanks to a mixture of price volatility, in­ternal instability within the Ivory Coast anda lack of protection from speculators how­ever, an ever smaller portion of the billionsof dollars of annual  revenue  the  industrycreates finds its way back to the country'sfarmers.While this set up may benefit cocoa buy­ers and chocolate companies, non profitssuch as the International Cocoa Initiative(ICI) have claimed that it forces farmers topay low wages and encourages exploitativepractices such as child labor.

An Idaho company will operate a newfactory to manufacture a type of fertil­

izer  that  will  be  less  useful  in  makingbombs, the product’s inventor, Honeywell,announced on Friday.Bombs made from ordinary fertilizer havebeen used around the world. They destroyedthe Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building  inOklahoma City in 1995 and damaged theWorld Trade Center in 1993. Most recently,fertilizer  bombs  have  been  used  againstUnited  States  forces  in  Iraq  andAfghanistan, and fertilizer is suspected tobe a component of a fatal bomb used at agovernment center in Oslo in July.Honeywell,  based  in Morris Township,N.J., patented the new fertilizer in 2008. Itcombines the traditional ammonium nitratewith ammonium sulfate,  significantly  re­ducing its ability to explode. But so far, thefertilizer has not been manufactured.Honeywell announced Friday that it hadsigned  an  agreement with  J.  R.  Simplot,based in Boise, to build a factory at a Sim­plot plant in Lathrop, Calif. Honeywell willown the factory, but Simplot will operate itand have exclusive rights to sell the fertil­izer in western North America and northernMexico.

Sulfur is already widely used on fields inthe West to lower the pH level, but not ineastern areas, some of which are already tooacidic. However, Honeywell said, the newfertilizer is superior because it releases itsnitrogen over a longer period.Honeywell is already a large producer ofammonium sulfate fertilizer.Murat Bicak, the business director for theproduct at Honeywell Specialty Materials,said, “We expect that its cost will run at aslight  premium  to  common  nitrate­basedfertilizers based on its unique attributes, in­cluding safety and effectiveness.”The company did not  say how much  itthought would  be manufactured,  but Mr.Bicak  added,  “We  continue  to  have  dia­logue with regulators about current and pro­posed regulation and how our technologycan be used to reduce the threat of fertilizer­based explosive devices.”The new fertilizer was tested independ­ently “with guidance from the U.S. Depart­ment of Homeland Security and the Bureauof Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explo­sives,” according to Honeywell.Switching to the new fertilizer could re­lieve farmers of some requirements to safe­guard their fertilizer stockpiles. 

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWSUS 'to cut corn exportestimate to 14­year low'

Ivory Coast seeks chocolatefairness for farmers

Plant to Make FertilizerThat Eases a Threat

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PESTICIDE GUIDEYou must Read the Labels!

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Feeding Your DogYour dog should be fed by the same personat each feeding. Apply this rule with com­mon sense. This may not be so important ifyour household has two dogs and you andyour wife trade off feeding duties. This ruleis particularly important in veterinary settingand boarding kennels where there may be alarge number of dogs being fed by differentstaff. Under these conditions, changing thefeeder could lead to an upset of eating be­havior in a dog.

Tip Number 2A dog should haveits  own  separatebowl  both  forfeeding  and  forwater. This  is  im­portant  from  theperspective of dogbehavior psychol­ogy  and  also  formaintaining  goodhygiene.

Tip Number 3Never change the place where you feed yourdog, or if unavoidable, change the feedinglocation as infrequently as possible. It is farless important where you choose to feed youdog as it is to keep the location the same.The constancy and predictability of feedingtime and location is essential to your dogssense of well being and security. To need­lessly change disrupts your dogs confidenceand overall feeling of well being. This, inturn, can  lead  to anxiety and possible be­havior problems.

Tip Number 4Never  change  your  dog's  food  without  asound reason. Dogs, unlike humans, reallydo not need a change of diet. Dogs can getalong very well eating the same diet day inand day out. If you are feeding your dog anutritionally correct diet, your dog will lookforward to its food day in and day out. Infact,  a  sign  of  nutritionally  deficient  dogfood is that your dog will lose interest in eat­ing. As long as you are feeding your dog ahealthy diet, it will not tire of its diet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

    

Agri Life Foundation has been established as a non­profit organization to foster and encourage farmers to become more self­sufficient and competitive in a freemarket economy. One of the main ways that the Foundation will achieve these 

goals is through collaboration, professional support and advisory from experts in thefield. Such collaboration will provide a platform where individuals from academia, 

business, government, and the farming community can share research­based information and technology regarding environmentally sound management 

and profitable agricultural production practices. 

MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of Agri Life Foundation is to enhance the social and economic well being of farmers as well as to build awareness, understanding and a

positive public perception of agriculture  and the environment. • The publication of The Agriculturalist Newspaper­ with agricultural news, views, technologies as well as sustainable and environmental­friendly farming practices. 

• The publication of The Tropical Farmers’ Almanac –an annual guide with technical agricultural information and environmental­friendly farming practices for farmers.

• The provision of educational and training opportunities for farmers. 

• The provision of direct relief assistance to farmers in need of food, shelter and medical assistance. 

• The support of urban farming, food security, nutrition and health (also in relation to HIV­AIDS)

• The provision of direct financial and technical support to women, young farmers and othereconomically challenged food producers.

• The provision of financial support for students and young farmers pursuing studies in agricultural and environmental studies.

• The development and organization of farmer­to­farmer, agricultural student exchange and farmer mentoring programs.

• Collaboration with both Government and non­government agencies in order to improve the economic condition and livelihood of farm producers, their families and rural communities.

• The promotion of modern and appropriate technologies in food production. 

For further information:Patrick Maitland, 

Executive Chairman, Agri Life Foundation

188 Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11, Jamaica WITel: 923­7471; 923­7428 • patland2000@gmail.com 

www.agrilifefoundation.org

             

                      

                   

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Jamaican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal

10 Winchester Rd,Kingston 10

Tel: (876) 929­0320: Fax: (876) 754­4594jspca@yahoo.com; 

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