the agriculturalist-june 2012

VOL. 23 NO. 8 • JUNE 2012 FREE COPY WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

365-2054

Minister Phillips during the Budgetpresentation on Thursday (May 24) an-nounced that effective June 1 selected farmproduce and input supplies would attractGeneral Consumption Tax (GCT) at16.5%.

However, following objections fromthe public, the Minister tabled a revised listin Parliament on June 6, which includeseggs, live birds, fish, pet food as well asplanting materials including cereals andseeds in their natural state, dormant flowerbulbs, corns, roots and tubers and nurserystock, vegetable plants and live trees asamong the taxable items.

The Minister also announced thatGCT on commercial electricity customerswill be increased from 10% to the standardrate of 16.5%. This measure will take ef-fect July 1, 2012.

Agricultural consultant and farmerOmer Thomas is projecting a 20% increasein the overall cost of production for live-stock as a result of the new taxes and the50% increase in motor vehicle licensingfees. “Depending on the level of manage-ment and the price movement of other in-puts, the cost could be high as 25%,”Thomas projected.

In the case of crop production,Thomas suggested that farmers would ex-perience an 18% increase in their produc-tion costs, which is mainly attributed toelectricity and transportation costs. “Withefficiency the increase will be more man-

ageable for crop farmers,” he added.Chief Executive Officer Brian Jardim

of Rainforest Seafoods is among thosefrom the agriculture sector calling for a re-view of the proposed tax measures. Jardimadded that consumption of rainforest prod-ucts will also be negatively affected andthis will limit the choices of protein thatpeople can easily afford.

Jamaica Egg Farmers AssociationPresident Roy Baker has described the ad-dition of GCT as the nail in the coffin ofthe egg industry: “Any movement at this

time on GCT, would be a movement from0 to 16%. And this would impact signifi-cantly both the cost of the finished productand the practice of how the product is con-sumed in Jamaica. Baker estimated thatthe GCT on eggs would increase the aver-age cost of eggs by 40 to 50%.

Government Senator and first vice-president of the JAS, Norman Grant is rec-ommending that the government roll backthe tax on raw produce and instead taxgoods made from them. Grant believes itwould be more beneficial to tax importedagricultural products.

See new GCT rates on page 9.

Jamaican FarmersFace New Taxes

By Patrick Maitland, Editor-The Agriculturalist

Jamaican farmers are bracing for an estimated 20-25% increase in their over-all operations cost as a result of new taxes announced by Finance MinisterPeter Phillips to help raise $23.4 billion to fund the Government's $612 billion

budget for the fiscal year 2012-13.

Stop Importing Banana Chips! Port Antonio, Portland:

Jamaica imported a whopping US$8.4-million worth of banana chips andother by-products of the fruit last year,up from US $3.7 million in 2010.

Speaking recently at the PortlandArea Council All-Island Banana Grow-ers Association Ltd (AIBGA) annualgeneral meeting, Chairman of theAIBGA, Gretel Sessing, urged the gov-ernment to halt the imports as it is af-fecting the sales of their fruits, whilethousands of acres of green gold aregoing to waste.

Several farmers aired their grousesand plight as they were unable to selltheir fruits. "It is getting more and morefrustrating," said Leslie Monelal, a ba-nana farmer of Tom's Hope in the RioGrande Valley, who spoke on behalf ofthe other farmers. The growers are ap-pealing to the Ministry of Agriculture toprovide a sustainable local market forthem to sell their fruits

The Chairman however encouragedthe farmers to dismiss the traditional talkof 'nutten nah gwaan,' and to insteadfocus on producing not only for the localmarket, but to also feed the world.

GRETEL SESSINGChairman, AIBGA

PETER PHILLIPS FINANCE MINISTER

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EDITORIAL PAGE

The government's decision to includeGeneral Consumption Tax (GCT) on

selected farm produce and input supplies isamong the worst policies to be imple-mented on the local food producers.

Jamaican farmers are now the mosttaxed group of producers in the world,while they receive little benefits or directincentives from government.

Budgetary support to the Ministry ofAgriculture and its affiliated agencies is al-ways below 2% of the total budget, yetagriculture and its value-added commodi-ties contribute well over 15% to the is-land’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) andemploys up to 21% of the labour force.

During the agricultural/industrial eraof economic growth and developments, theJamaican farmers contributed significantlyto feed this island, but were never taken se-riously or positioned on a sustainablegrowth path.

Successive governments have beenlike parasites on the back of the farmers.They have always taken from the farmers,while contributing less to their success.

For decades the government enjoyedmonopolistic control over the marketingand sales of various commodities such assugar, coffee, cocoa, pimento and banana,while underpaying the farmers.

The situation only changed in recentyears as the government was forced to lib-eralize and divest its interests in those com-modities.

Under the PNP and JLP, some of thebest farmlands, including irrigated fieldswere taken out of production and put intohouses and other non-farming projects.

Trade agreements were signed allow-ing foreign farmers to flood the marketwith low-cost and subsidized livestock andcrops produce.

Our cattle industry, including theworld-renowned Jamaica Hope breed ison the verge of extinction mainly as a re-sult of the US-sponsored PL480 pro-gramme which has facilitated theimportation of cheap milk products, suchas butter and cheese for more than tenyears.

During the period, US dairy farmerswere producing too much milk and theirgovernment came to their aid, by imple-menting a programme to purchase thefarmers (US) products and donate them tothe Jamaican government for sale on thelocal market.

The proceeds from the sales wereused as grant to support several develop-ment projects in agriculture.

However, we are now learning thatthe PL480 was a bad policy, as our cattle

farmers could not compete with those sub-sidized imported milk products and one ofthe main beneficiaries, the Jamaica Agri-cultural Development Foundation (JADF)is almost bankrupt as a result of poor man-agement.

With several thousands poor farmersand food production on the decline, GCTon agriculture is the worst farm policy anygovernment could implement at this time.

We need investment and incentives inagriculture, not new taxes.

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.

FF oo cc aa ll PP oo ii nn tt

GCT on Agriculture—The Worst Farm Policy!

OPINIONSOPINIONS

Editorial commenthttp://agritrade.cta.int

The situation in the banana sector inJamaica is similar to that of other ba-

nana producers in the Caribbean, wherethe difficulties faced in controlling BlackSigatoka disease have been severely de-bilitating the industry.

The recent resurgence of Black Siga-toka in St Lucia and the allocation of partof the EU Banana Accompanying Meas-ures (BAM) programme funding in Be-lize to controlling the disease areindicative of the seriousness of the situa-tion.

At present, Jamaica appears to be theonly Caribbean banana producer to haveembarked on a fundamental rebuilding ofthe banana industry rooted on a com-pletely new, re-engineered variety.

The other Caribbean banana producerswill be closely observing the performanceof the Jamaican industry with this newvariety, and especially the impact it couldhave on the development of a value-added banana products industry.

However, this strategic shift in Ja-maican policy was initiated towards theend of the EU’s extensive banana supportprogramme (a €42-million programmeinitiated in 2000 and scheduled to end in2012). In recent years the EC has takenthe view that despite the European sup-port programme, the Jamaican banana in-dustry ‘has been experiencing a steadydecline in terms of production and ex-ports.’.

As a consequence, a reorientation of theEC’s banana assistance to Jamaica isunder way, and the focus of EC supporthas shifted towards ‘economic diversifi-cation and in shielding the negative im-

pact of the downturn of the industry.’It remains to be seen therefore to what

extent the EU will continue to contributeto the implementation of the Jamaicangovernment’s value-added processingstrategy for the banana sector, under thenew BAM programme.

A fundamental rebuilding of the banana industry

Publisher: Patrick Maitland

Admin/Advertising Director:Susan Wissant

Advertising Executives:Shamara GilliesTricia 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

Fax: (876) [email protected]

[email protected]

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Agri Life Foundation is to enhance the social and economic

well being of farmers as well as to buildawareness, understanding and a posi-tive public perception of agriculture

and the environment.

For further information:Patrick Maitland,

Executive Chairman, Agri Life Foundation

188 Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11, Jamaica WITel: 923-7471; 923-7428 • [email protected] www.agrilifefoundation.org

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NEWS

The Banana Board recently-formally opened a nurseryaimed at multiplying new

banana and plantain varieties.The event also signaled the start

of the banana resuscitation loanprogramme.The Banana Board will also ben-

efit from an injection of suppliesand capital. The initiatives are partof funding made available underthe European Union Banana Sup-

port Programme through whichjust over $74 million was madeavailable to the Banana Board.The new high-yield and disease-

resistant banana and plantain vari-eties will facilitate an increase incost efficiencies by 30 percent, andwill help create a sustainable value-added market within three years.It's expected that over 1,400 ba-nana and plantain farmers, as wellas agri-businesses, will benefitfrom the programme.

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Banana Boardopens nursery

Farmers in the coffee industryare to benefit from fertiliser

acquired by the Ministry of Agri-culture and Fisheries at a cost of$20 million to improve crop pro-ductivity.The nearly 12,000 bags of fer-tiliser, procured from local man-ufacturer, Newport Fersan(Jamaica) Limited, were pre-

sented to portfolio Minister,Roger Clarke, on May 8, at thecompany's Wherry Wharf com-plex at Newport East, Kingston.They will be distributed tofarmers who are registered withthe Coffee Industry Board, andwho have delivered coffee withinthe last 24 months.The provision of the fertiliserforms part of the government’s

efforts to resuscitate the coffee in-dustry. In February, the Ministrycommitted $29 million to the sec-tor, $20 million of which was ear-marked for providing fertilizer;while the remaining $9 millionwill assist efforts to counter thedreaded coffee berry borer, in-cluding assisting the Coffee BerryBorer Task Force to effect pestcontrol and eradication.

Fertiliser for Coffee Farmers

FERTILISER FOR COFFEE FARMERS: Dennis Valdez (left), Newport Fersan’s managing director,smiles as the ribbon is cut by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Roger Clarke (centre) at the of-ficial handover ceremony of approximately 12,000 bags of the company’s Special Blend fertilizeron May 8. Director General of the Coffee Industry Board Christopher Gentles looks on.

US coffee retailer Starbuckshas doubled its orders for Ja-

maica’s Blue Mountain coffee,increasing its order to 15,400 kg,a 360% increase on the initialorder in 2010. However, according to the gen-eral manager of the Gold CupCoffee Company, a fall in ordersis expected for 2013, ‘given the“shaky period” that the coffee in-dustry is going through’.While there is no price disclo-sure on the specific contract con-cluded with Starbucks, DirectorGeneral of the Coffee Industry

Board Christopher Gentles sug-gested a value of just overUS$400,000 for the order.Following the increase in pur-chases by Starbucks, JamaicanBlue Mountain coffee producersare being encouraged to sign upto Starbucks’ programme ‘CAFEPractices’ – Coffee and FarmerEquity Practices. This is ‘a set ofbuying guidelines developed byStarbucks, Conservation Interna-tional and Scientific CertificationSystems of California to ensurethat coffee is grown in a respon-sible way.’

Starbucks Orders MoreBlue Mountain Coffee

JNBS AT THE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SHOW, 'AGROFEST':Michael Collins (right), Sales Development & Training Specialist at Jamaica Na-tional Building Society examines a cucumber with a child as her mother and sis-ter looked at. They were at the annual Agricultural and Industrial Show, Agrofest,which was held at Jamaica College on Saturday, May 26. The event was organizedby the Kingston and St. Andrew Association of Branch Societies/JAS in collabo-ration with Rural Agricultural Development Agency, St. Andrew to assist localfarmers in showcasing their produce to the public and to encourage Jamaicans tobuy local produce. Jamaica National was a sponsor of the event.

Hours after residents of Rock River in Claren-don formed a Farmer's Watch group, the initia-tive has reaped success, with the arrest of asuspected thief.The name of the 49-year-old man is being with-held, as more investigations are being carriedout.Less than 24 hours ago, the programme was

launched in response to rising theft in the area.Reports are that on Thursday evening, fol-

lowing the launch of the programme, the policereceived information that a man had stolen hy-brid goats.In a pre-dawn operation on Friday morning,

the lawmen went in search of the alleged thief,who reportedly ran away, leaving the goats.The police further allege that on Saturday

evening, he showed up at the station claiming tohave lost goats, and wanting to identify thosethat had been found.

Farmer's Watch Group reaps success



NEWS

Veteran farm leader andformer head of the

All-Island Jamaica CaneFarmers Association (AI-JCFA) and the Cocoa In-dustry Board Ken Haugtonis dead.A press release from the

Ministry of Agriculture saidHaughton passed away onMonday, May 28.Agriculture and Fisheries

Minister, Roger Clarke,said Haughton’s love andpassion for agriculturemade him a champion forthe cause of the smallfarmer particularly sugarworkers. Clarke extend condo-

lences to his immediate andextended family.The Cocoa Industry

Board has expressed sad-ness of the passing of thisstalwart of agriculture."We are deeply saddened

by the death of Mr. Ken-neth Haughton, who servedin several capacities withinthe agricultural sector formany years.

He is fondly rememberedas an active member of thefarming community, whocame up through the ranksof the Jamaica AgriculturalSociety and other commod-ity organisations. We ex-tend our condolences to hisimmediate and extendedfamily during this period ofbereavement," a statementfrom the board said.Haughton chaired the

Cocoa Industry Board andthe then Cocoa Develop-ment Company Limitedfrom 1989 to 1997.He also served as Chair-

man of the All Island Ja-maica Cane Farmers'Association from 1995-98.Chairman of the AIJCFA

All Rickards also expressedhis regrets on behalf ofCommittee of the Manage-ment of the AIJCFA."Mr Haughton had served

the organisation during aperiod spanning thedecades of the 1950'sthrough to the 1990's,” saidin a statement to the media.

Veteran farm leader Ken Haughton is dead

Officials of the Institute of Inter-American Co-operation on Agriculture, IICA, paid a courtesy callon Minister of Agriculture, RogerClarke on ThursdayIMay 24). In photo (l-r)Ignatius Jean, IICA’sRepresentative in Jamaica, CarolThomas, IICA’s Representative to Barbados and Re-gional Specialist forAgricultural Health &Food Safety and AnaMarisa Cordero, IICA’s AgriculturalSpecialist in CostaRica.Opposition leader An-

drew Holness is seek-ing to justify tax waiversthat were given to ChineseCompany Complant in thedivestment of the sugar in-dustry during the previousJamaica Labour Party ledadministration.Making his budget pres-

entation this week in Par-liament, AgricultureMinister Roger Clarke reg-istered his concerns aboutthe arrangement whichwill see Complant receiv-ing waivers for up to 20years.Holness expressed anger

at what he said was an ex-

ample of the governmentplaying politics.“I want to know what

Omar Daviers is going todo when the Chinese cometo him and say ‘Yes, we’reready to build these newhighways but we needsome waivers.’ I’m goingto come to parliament andraise it again because they(the government) werecheap enough play that as apolitical game. And this is what I’m talk-

ing about when I say thepolitics of power. We tooka decision to inducegrowth.”

Holness defendsComplant tax waivers



Tips & Warnings,Army wormsSpray pesticides during the period of the day when the insects are most

active to get the best control.

Always try the least toxic method ofpest control as your first step.

Army wormsthreaten farmsin St. Elizabeth

Opposition Spokesperson on Agri-culture J.C. Hutchinson is raisingalarm at what he says is the dan-

ger facing farmers in light of the re-emer-gence of the Beat Army Worm.He's also expressing concern about

what he has described as the lacklustre re-sponse of the Ministry of Agriculture tothe farmers' plight.Hutchinson told The Agriculturalist

that the most recent outbreak of BeatArmy Worms is ravaging a variety ofcrops including pepper, onion and escal-lion.He argues that with the increased cost

of pesticides the Agriculture Ministry'sineffective response has dealt a doubleblow to the sector.According to Hutchinson, over the past

two months many farmers, particularlythose in St. Elizabeth, have been losingacres of produce.The Opposition Spokesman says the

outbreak of Beat Army Worm is rapidlyspreading and is starting to affect fruitsand vegetables including tomatoes, can-taloupes and watermelons. Hutchinson is calling for the immediate

intervention of the Minister of Agricul-ture and the implementation of measuresto curtail the pest.He's warning that if corrective measures

are not taken immediately the supply ofvegetables and condiments could be com-promised resulting in additional importa-tion and price increases to consumers.The Beat Army Worm, which is native

to Asia but also thrives in the UnitedStates, was discovered in sections of St.Elizabeth three years ago.The pest is green in colour and first ap-

pears in small groups of plants but feedsvoraciously and spreads rapidly.The infestation can cause the loss of an

entire field in a short time if not effec-tively treated.In his response, Agriculture Minister

Roger Clarke said a special team fromthe Ministry of Agriculture has been dis-patched to St. Elizabeth to assess the ex-tent of losses suffered by farmers due tothe re-emergence of the Beat ArmyWorm. The team will get a first handview of the situation and present him witha report.

e

al

JIS

Jamaican foods and beverages arerenowned globally for their high quality

and exotic flavours, endearing the discern-ing taste buds and palates of many personswho continue to enjoy them.Cognisant of this and the competitive ad-

vantage which Jamaica’s unique foods pres-ent in the global marketplace, private andpublic sector stakeholders and interestshave, both individually and collectively,been engaging in activities aimed at en-hancing output, thereby establishing andconsolidating the presence and prominenceof local products.The latest such undertaking is a $42 mil-

lion ginger and turmeric project, beingspearheaded by the Ministry of Agricultureand Fisheries, through its Export Division,which was launched earlier this year.The project represents what Portfolio

Minister, Roger Clarke, says is the fulfill-ment of a commitment he made at the startof the year, to identify and earmark some510 additional acres of arable land for gin-ger and turmeric cultivation and production.Speaking at the project’s launch in St.

Mary, where he presented a cheque in thesum of $25 million, representing the Min-istry’s input, Minister Clarke noted that gin-ger is among the fastest growing spicesglobally, while turmeric trade, whichrecorded increases over a two-year period,between 2006 and 2008, is set to furthergrow over the “short to medium term."Noting that Jamaica’s ginger ranks among

the best in the world, Mr. Clarke contendedthat this presents an opportunity for ex-panded local production of the spice inorder to capitalise on the increasing de-mand.“Since 2001, global ginger imports have

increased from 276,000 tonnes, valued atUS$172 million, to 423,000 tonnes valuedat US$64 million. Jamaican ginger, whichis positioned in niche markets, is estimatedto have global demand of about 21,000tonnes of fresh or 4,200 tonnes of dried gin-ger, which is less than four per cent ofglobal trade,” he informed.Regarding turmeric, Mr. Clarke informed

that global trade increased from 66,000tonnes to 79,000 tonnes between 2006 and2008, before declining to 53,000 tonnes in2010, due primarily to “weather influencein the areas of major origin.” He added that,“correspondingly, prices increased sharply.”Despite these, the Minister said turmerictrade is increasing, and is predicted to re-main on that trajectory over the short tomedium term.General Manager of the Ministry’s Export

Division, Sylburn Thomas, who informedthat Jamaica’s ginger yield is second onlyto Nigeria’s, explained that the project tar-geting that spice is being undertaken in twocomponents. One, he said, entails an openfield operation aimed at increasing acreageand crop maintenance, with the second – anursery component - dedicated to the pro-duction of clean disease-free planting ma-terial.Regarding the open field operations,

Thomas explained that, save for Kingston,

activities in this aspect will be undertakenin virtually every parish. He informed thatbased on the profile of material receivedand field research, expansion will be un-dertaken in several parishes, including: St.Catherine, Trelawny, St. James, and St. An-

drew. He reported that work to undertakefull-scale ginger cultivation will be under-taken in parishes, such as Portland, St.Mary, St. Ann and Portland, while a pro-gramme of mainly maintenance will be car-ried in the others.

Renewed Drive to Expand Ginger and Turmeric Production

GINGER AND TURMERIC PROJECTS:Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Roger Clarke (right), presents a cheque in thesum of $25 million, to General Manager, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Ex-port Division, Sylburn Thomas (centre), during the launch of the Ministry’s $42 mil-lion ginger and turmeric projects, at its Orange River Research Station, in St. Mary.The cheque represented a portion of the Ministry’s input in the initiatives, which willbe executed by the Export Division. Sharing the moment is Clarke’s predecessorSenator Robert Montague.


GCT TAXCHANGES

-Courtesy of JIS

As part of his Budget presentationtabled in Parliament on May 24,

2012 and the revised Budget tabled June6, 2012 (following consultations withstakeholders) Finance Minister, PeterPhillips announced a number of revenuemeasures. These included tax measures for GCT

which would impact the general publicas follows:

1. Reduction in the standard rate ofGeneral Consumption Tax (GCT) from17.5% to 16.5%In keeping with the Government of Ja-

maica’s commitment to the tax reformand ensuring a reduction of rates, thestandard rate of GCT payable in respectto taxable goods and services was re-duced by one-percent (1%) point effec-tive June 1, 2012. Consumers willtherefore pay one-percent (1%) lesswhen they buy taxable goods and serv-ices.

2. Partially widen the GCT baseIn an effort to broaden the tax base andreduce the administrative issues beingexperienced, several items previouslylisted as exempt or zero-rated will nowattract GCT at the standard rate of16.5%. Consumers will now pay GCTon a wider range of goods and services.

The items listed below are now tax-able at the standard rate as at June 1,2012.o Flavoured milk, milk based products,condensed milk and milk substituteo Corn beef (canned)o Pickled mackerel, herring, shad, driedsalt fisho Buns, crackers (except water crack-ers), biscuits (salted and unsalted)o Eggs.o All pattieso Rolled Oatso Live birds, fish, etc.o Syrupo Pet foodo Planting materials including cerealsand seeds in their natural state, dormantflower bulbs, corns, roots and tubers andnursery stock, vegetable plants and livetreeso Surgical gloves, including disposable,sterile and those made of latex rubbero Printed matter, articles and materials

3. Amendment to the GCT regime as itrelates to electricity GCT will no longer be payable by resi-dential customers, replacing the currentarrangement of a 10% charge on usageof electricity above a threshold of200KWh. GCT rate for commercial customers

will be increased from 10% to the stan-dard rate of 16.5%. This measure willtake effect July 1, 2012.

By Garfield L. Angus, JIS Reporter

President of the Jamaica Agricultural So-ciety (JAS), Glendon Harris, says the

renewed effort by the Government to reducepraedial larceny is motivating farmers tostay in agriculture.Speaking at the Annual General Meeting

of the JAS, St. James parish organisation,held at the St. John’s Methodist Church, inMontego Bay, on June 20, Harris said thatfarmers across the island are pleased withthe number of arrests and conviction of per-sons who steal agricultural produce.He said the work of the Rural Agricultural

Development Authority (RADA) to pro-mote the Agricultural Business InformationSystem (ABIS), has helped to sensitisefarmers in the protection of their crops.Singling out the parish of St. Thomas,

where several persons have been fined orconvicted recently for agricultural theft, theJAS President said the organisation has seena growth in membership due to the work ofthe police to combat praedial larceny. “Mylast check revealed that the membership ofthe Jamaica Agricultural Society, since Jan-uary, has grown by over three thousand new

members,” Harris said.“This we can attribute to the fact that prae-

dial larceny is now being enforced in sev-eral parishes, particularly in St. Thomas.The sales of receipt books have grown, andthe police in that parish, and the Courts areworking together to ensure that they rid theparish of praedial thieves,” the Presidentsaid.

“That has stimulated the farmers to regis-ter with RADA on the ABIS system, to joinup with the JAS and be able to purchasetheir receipt books where they can trade likebusiness people,” Mr. Harris said.Recently the Ministry of Agriculture and

Fisheries re-launched the receipt book sys-tem with a commitment to curb the highlevel of theft of agricultural produce. The initiative requires that all registered

farmers and vendors must issue a receipt,identifiable by a unique number, to anyonewho purchases agricultural produce, asproof of payment. It is estimated that farm-ers lose some $5 billion each year to theft.Harris, who is also President of the St.

James JAS, announced that the organisationis supporting some 100 farmers in the parishto increase yam production. He told thegathering that the objective is geared at“ensuring that at least one hundred moreacres of yam are grown in the parish."The parish delegates returned Harris as

President, and the Executive to serve an-other one year term.

Fight against Praedial Larceny Motivating Farmers

RURAL YOUTH PROJECTDirector General of the Organisationof American States’ Jamaica Office,Dr. Joan Neil (2nd left), shakes thehand of Diana Blake (right) of BaradaFarms in St. Thomas, after presentingher with a digital weighing scale onJune 14, 2012 closing ceremony forthe Rural Youth Capacity Building andBusiness Development Project held atthe Scientific Research Council, Hope Gardens, St. Andrew. Sharingthe moment are: Executive Director atthe Scientific Research Council (SRC),Dr. Chadwick Anderson; and Manager,Project and Quality Management Systems, SRC, Marcia Henry.

-JIS Photo:

Glendon Harris, President, Jamaica Agricultural Society

Somerset, St. Thomas:

Food For The Poor (FFP) in collaborationwith the European Union Banana Support

Programme (EUBSP) on Thursday (June 21)launched the Economic Diversification Pro-gramme For Banana Producing Parishes,which seeks to provide alternative income-generating opportunities for small farmers,who traditionally cultivated bananas. The Launch took place at the Church of God

of Prophesy, Somerset, St. Thomas. The Pro-gramme has a sixteen-month duration, andwill provide forty small farmers in the tradi-tional banana producing areas of Somerset, St.Thomas and Esher, St. Mary, with the materi-als, training and technical support necessaryto engage in sustainable production of scotchbonnet peppers, goats and bees/honey. Mostof the farmers participating in the project oc-cupy holdings, which are between 0.4hectares to 2.4 hectares. The Programme is being financed by the

European Unionthrough the EUBSP,and implemented byFood For The Poor.The Ministry of Agri-culture and Fisherieshas the oversight forthe Programme, whilethe Rural AgriculturalDevelopment Author-ity (RADA) assistswith the implementa-tion.Delivering Remarks

at the Launch, An-drew Mahfood, Chairman, Food For ThePoor, announced that his charity started theProject, with the aim of assisting small bananafarmers who are suffering from “a dramaticdownturn in the volume of production and ex-ports of bananas, due mainly to falling priceson the world market, the non-competitiveness

of Jamaica’s banana exports on the Europeanmarket and the negative effects of natural dis-asters.”Mahfood outlined some features of the Pro-

gramme, “Through the imparting of knowl-edge and skills by our agriculturalists and theRADA extension officers, this Programme iscreating a springboard for small farmers tobenefit from new income-generating opportu-nities and increased profitability. This is con-sistent with FFP’s philosophy of encouragingsustainable development projects.” He also disclosed that FFP is providing

small farmers with guidelines on post-har-vesting and marketing of farm produce as wellas assisting them with the establishment ofFarmers’ Associations. The Chairman encouraged the recipient

farmers and farmers’ islandwide to be focusedand persistent in identifying and successfullypursuing market opportunities on the localand international scenes.

Food For The Poor to assist banana farmers

Andrew Mahfood, Chairman,

Food For The Poor


JAMAICA 4H CLUB FEATURE

THE JAMAICA 4-H CLUBS

‘To Make The Best Better’Providing Training For TheNation's Youths (Age 5-25)

Creating Better Leaders For Tomorrow

THE JAMAICA 4-H CLUBS95 Old Hope Road,

Kingston 6, Jamaica WITel: 927-4050-2 • Fax: 978-3209

E-mail: [email protected]• Website: www.jamaica4hclubs.com

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Roger Clarke (5th l) is all smiles as he poses with newlycrowned 4-H Boy and 4-H Girl of the Year, Justin Thomas (3rd left) of Clarendon Collegeand Akira Gowie (4rd l) of St. Mary High School. Sharing in the moment from left are 4-HClubs Chairman, Senator Norman Grant, (1st l), and COK Sodality's Strategic Planning &Development Manager, Desmond Foster

This cubbie is all smiles as he shows off his trophy pre-sented to him by IICA Representative to Jamaica, IgnatiusJean

The Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) said it wasdeeply concerned about the implications on the local manu-

facturing sector of waivers granted to Pan Caribbean SugarCompany Limited (PCSC), the local arm of Chinese firm Com-plant which owns three sugar factories in Jamaica. “The issue for the Association as it relates to the government’sagreement with PCSC is that the company has been offered taxbreaks and waivers to import products that are locally manufac-tured,” the JMA said in a release. Recently a press story revealed that Complant has received 20-year tax breaks on general consumption, corporate income, with-holding and transfer taxes as well as customs and stamp duties. The GCT waiver applies to the purchase of a range of goods, in-cluding fertilizer, as well a number of equipment. A July 2010 letter to Complant, signed by then Finance Minis-ter Audley Shaw, indicated that the company has been grantedthe waivers. Complant bought the Frome, Bernard Lodge and Monymusksugar factories in 2010. The JMA, noted “specifically that fertilizer was listed as one ofthe goods eligible for waivers whilst we already have an estab-lished manufacturer of this product in Jamaica.” It continued: “In this regard, if the government has allowed, aspart of the agreement for PCSC to retail its imported fertilizer,we could be on the verge of the closure of another manufacturingfacility in Jamaica.”

JMA Uneasy About Waivers to Sugar Company

NEWS10 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • JUNE 2012 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

New varieties of vitamin A cassava

Aresearch team led by the Interna-tional Institute of Tropical Agricul-ture (IITA) has developed three new

varieties of vitamin A cassava that could im-prove the livelihoods of millions of farmersin Africa and help put an end to malnutritiondue to vitamin A deficiency in the continent.

The vitamin A cassava varieties named bythe National Variety release Committee ofNigeria as UMUCASS 36, UMUCASS 37,and UMUCASS 38 are recognized as IITAgenotypes TMS 01/1368, TMS 01/1412, andTMS 01/1371.They have high beta carotene (pro-vitamin

A) and are suitable for food uses as gari, fufu,and high quality cassava flour. The yellowroot color of the vitamin A-rich varieties areproducts of over 20 years of breeding effortsfor improved nutritional quality using tradi-tional breeding methods involving hy-bridization and selection of cassava seedlingsfollowed by clonal propagation of the se-lected desirable plants.Drs. Peter Kulakow and Norbert Maroya,

IITA Cassava Breeders, said, “The develop-ment of these varieties is a major break-through that will change the nutritional statusof people living on cassava-based food.”Known for its high carbohydrate content, cas-sava is the fourth largest staple after wheat,maize, and rice consumed in the developingcountries, with over 200 million people insub-Saharan Africa relying on the crop forover half of their daily food energy.---------------------------------------------New urban farmingstructure breaks

groundDevelopers of a new concept in urban

farming, the Plantagon Greenhouse,broke ground for the first structure in Swedenthis week. The new type of greenhouse forvertical farming in cities provides a way touse excess heat and CO2 from industrieswhile growing crops.The greenhouse is being built in Linkoping,

Sweden and is expected to be completed in12-16 months, according to a statement re-leased by Plantagon International. The plantwill produce vegetables from the recycled re-sources. "I am immensely proud that Linkop-ing is the chosen site for the first verticalgreenhouse. We will be the first city in theworld to test the new technology and the sys-tems involved to develop sustainable agricul-tural solutions for future cities," PaulLindvall, Mayor of Linkoping, said in a state-ment. "This is a historic day for Plantagon. This

ceremony marks the realization of the visionof creating functional sustainable solutionsfor the growing cities of today and tomorrow,where we can grow food in the cities in a re-source-smart way, making use of the specialconditions of the city," said Hans Hassle,CEO of Plantagon.

Get your

copiestoday...

Call 923-7471

orFarm StoresIslandwide

Kesha A. Henry, 33 a graduate ofthe College of Agriculture, Sci-

ence and Education (CASE), was onMay 13, awarded the Doctor of Phi-losophy degree from the prestigiousPurdue University in Indiana, USA Henry specializes in Curriculumand Instruction, with a concentrationin Agricultural and Extension Edu-cation and a minor in Communica-tion. Henry graduated from CASE in2000 with an Associate degree inAgricultural Science and a Bache-lor’s of Technology degree in Envi-ronmental Science in 2004. Through her quest for higher edu-cation, she migrated to the UnitedStates where she earned a Master’sof Science degree in AgriculturalEducation from North CarolinaAgricultural & Technical State Uni-versity (2008). Henry went on to read for the PhDat Purdue. Her research focuses oncareer development of urban agri-

cultural science students through thelens of the Social Cognitive CareerTheory (SCCT).

Her research was presented at sev-eral international and local confer-ences which include: the HawaiiInternational Conference on Educa-tion, Honolulu, Hawaii; the FourthGlobal Communication Forum,Shanghai Jiao Tong University,China and the National Associationfor Multicultural Education Confer-ence, Chicago, Illinois. She has served on many commit-tees and provided service in variouscapacities such as: Manuscript Re-viewer for the American Associationfor Agricultural Education (AAAE)Research Conference in Nebraska(2010); Evaluation Chair, and Co-leader for the eXtension Diversity,Equity and Inclusion Community ofPractice (2009-present). Henry was recently hired by theUniversity of Minnesota-TwinCities, as the Executive Director ofthe Minnesota Agricultural Educa-tion Leadership Council (MAELC).

[email protected]

CASE Graduate Earns Doctor of Philosophy

DR KESHA A. HENRY


II NNTTEERRNNAATT IIOONNAALL NNEEWWSS

• Environmentally Friendly Pest Control Measures:-Controlling the Berry Borer with the Rustic Traps- Re-emphasizing Stripping

• Helps to minimize the negative impact to the fragile eco-system of the Blue Mountains.

• Increased production and high-quality berries

• Major reduction in pest control cost

For further information contact:

Advisory Services UnitCoffee Industry Board

Willie Henry Drive, Kingston 15

758-3903 or 758-1259

Increase Production with

Eco-FriendlyStrategies

The Caribbean has been warned not tocompromise their stance on the imple-mentation of the Hazard Analysis Crit-

ical Control Points (HACCP) Standards tomitigate infectious disease. Such diseases in-clude the deadly Bovine Tuberculosis (TB)known for its prevalence among livestockand risk for humans because of its transfer-ability from animals to human.According to Dr. Cedric Lazarus, Regional

Livestock Specialist, attached to the Foodand Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO-UN) in Barbados, the

disease can be spread in raw unpasteurizedmilk or meat from infected cattle.Not only are the consumers of the infected

milk or meat at risk, so are cattle farmers, vet-erinarians, animal health workers and publichealth meat inspectors. Children and infants,the elderly, immuno-compromised personsand persons living with HIV/AIDS(PLWHIV/AIDS) are also susceptible.Bovine TB, explained Dr Lazarus, is

caused from Mycobacterium bovis (Tuber-

culosis and M. avium). It is spread mainly byingestion. “Cows get the bacteria from othercows mainly by breathing it in or by inges-tion. The disease mainly is concentrated inlungs, lymph nodes, gut, bladder, liver, and

kidney,” Dr Lazarus told Panos Caribbean.“…in most cattle there will be no symptomsat all. Hence most farmers will not know iftheir cows have the disease or not.”While this has serious public health impli-

cations, Dr Lazarus explained that somecountries are free from Bovine TB. Amongthose listed are many European countries,Australia, New Zealand, Canada and someCaribbean countries such as Cuba and Ja-maica.With the revelation of these concerns au-

thorities in some countries like Antigua andBarbuda are taking action. Chief VeterinaryOfficer Dr. Oona Edwards at the Ministry OfAgriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environ-ment in Antigua said that the department hasalready moved to close any gaps for the en-trance of the epidemic.

Caribbean Region Warned about Deadly Livestock Disease

Transferable To Humans

By STEPHANIE STROMwww.nytimes.com

The Department of Agriculture an-nounced that it had identified a case of

mad cow disease, the first in six years, in adairy cow in central California.

The cow “was never presented for humanconsumption, so it at no time presented arisk to the food supply or human health,”John Clifford, chief veterinary officer at thedepartment, said in a statement.Dr. Clifford noted that milk did not trans-

mit bovine spongiform encephalopathy, thescientific name for mad cow disease. He ex-pressed confidence in the health of the na-tion’s cattle and the safety of beef during apress briefing in Washington.The animal had been picked up from the

farm and taken to a rendering plant, whichnotified U.S.D.A. inspectors, Dr. Cliffordsaid in a brief interview.The body will remain at the rendering fa-

cility and will be disposed of once theagency completes its investigation, proba-bly by incineration or some other methodthat ensures the destruction of its tissues.It was the fourth reported case of mad

cow disease, a degenerative disease that af-fects the brains and spinal cords of cattle,in the United States. Humans can contract

the disease by eating meat from an infectedcow.Only one case of mad cow disease in the

United States was of the type derived fromfeed. That case set off a panic in 2003 whena Canadian-born cow in Washington statetested positive.Exports of American beef plummeted as

countries instituted bans, and livestock pro-ducers and meatpacking companies lost bil-lions of dollars. Asian nations in particularremain wary of American beef, and newsTuesday that another infected cow had beenidentified sent cattle futures for June deliv-ery to their lowest level in 11 months.The U.S.D.A. tested more than 795,000

animals in the 18 months after that cow wasidentified and found only two more cases.Neither was a type of B.S.E. associatedwith infected feed.In 2006, the department said the identifi-

cation of only two additional infected ani-mals suggested it was using a bazooka tofight a mouse. It cut its surveillance pro-gram by 90 percent, despite criticism fromconsumer groups.Those same critics on Tuesday com-

plained again about the department’s sur-veillance program. “We really don’t know ifthis is an isolated unusual event or whetherthere are more cases in U.S. beef,” Dr.Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Con-sumers Union, the advocacy arm of Con-sumer Reports. “Our monitoring program isjust too small.”The two other animals with mad cow dis-

ease as well as the one identified on Tues-day all had a form called atypical B.S.E.“We do not believe this was passed to theanimal through infected feed materials,” Dr.Clifford said.

New Case of Mad Cow Disease Is Found in U.S


Site SelectionGinger does best on loose, well-drained,well-aerated, light soils (eg. loams) that arerich in organic matter and neutral to slightlyacidic (pH 6.0 – 7.0). Lime amendments oraluminum sulphate (or sulphur) can be ap-plied to the soil to raise or lower the pH, re-spectively. Ginger grows at elevations from sea level

to about 1,500m and requires about 1500mmof well-distributed rainfall over the 9-monthgrowing season. A one-month dry spell is de-sirable prior to harvesting and during landpreparation. Mechanized field operations aresuitable for lands with about 1% slope.

Land PreparationThe land is cleared of weeds and shrubs,ploughed and allowed to weather for 1- 2months before planting. This period is nec-essary for weed seeds to germinate and forthe soil to become more friable and con-ducive for pulverization (refining). About 2-3 weeks before planting, the soil

is pulverized to a fine tilth. While pulveriz-ing, well decomposed organic matter(humus/compost) should be incorporated intothe soil at a rate of 20-25 tons per hectare toimprove the physical and chemical charac-teristics of the soil and help retain balancedsoil ecology. Decomposed poultry manure is rich in ni-

trogen and is a particularly good source of or-ganic matter. Stable (horse) manure,vegetable remains, coffee pulp, and compostfrom household organic waste are also suit-able sources of organic matter.

Planting materialExcept for tissue culture plantlet, ginger is

always propagated from portions of rhizomesknown as seed rhizomes. Each seed piece is2.5-5 cm long, weighs 15-30g and has 2 – 3viable buds. Sprouting percentage and yieldvaries positively with seed size between 10gand 40g per seed piece. Traditionally, Jamaican farmers plant larger

seed pieces of about 60g to 70g (calledbarampa), which are harvested and sold withthe new crop. Since planting material ac-counts for 30% to 40% of production cost,seed size could influence the economic via-bility of ginger production. Planting material should be selected from

healthy, disease-free, well-formed rhizomesthat are characteristic of the variety and freeof physical defects. Healthy disease-free par-ent/mother plants should be identified andmarked in the field from the crop is 6-8months in cultivation.

Storing seed rhizomesSeed rhizomes should be stored in a cool,

shaded area and covered with sand, sawdust,coir or leaves. The area should be sprayedwith a nematicide prior to storing. Storage of seed rhizomes is essential for

disease symptoms to manifest and for rhi-zomes to sprout. Under proper storage con-ditions seed rhizomes should sprout withinthree weeks.

PlantingPlanting Season:Ginger planting season runsfrom February to June and in some north-eastern provinces until July. Planting afterJuly results in reduced yield due to earlysenescence of leaves.

Pre-planting treatment - Given the high in-cidence of ginger rhizome rot (GRR) diseasein Jamaica, it is recommended that gingerseed rhizomes, although asymptomatic ofGRR disease, be treated with fungicide or hotwater prior to planting.

Fungicide treatment - For fungicide treat-ment, dip seed pieces in a fungicide mixture(eg. Thiophanate-Methyl {Topsin M}; Man-cozeb {Ridomil Gold}; or Copper Hydroxide{Kocide 2000}) for 20 minutes and air-dryfor 3-4 hours before planting. Systemicfungicides are reported to have greater effi-cacy in controlling ginger rhizome rot diseasethan contact fungicides.

Hot water treatment - During hot watertreatment, seed pieces are immersed into hotwater at 50˚C for 15 minutes. The tempera-ture and exposure time are sufficient to de-stroy the GRR pathogens withoutcompromising the viability of the plantingmaterial.

Field Seeding: Where planting is on ridges,the seed rhizomes are planted in shallow pitsprepared by hand or with a hoe and coveredwith a thin layer of soil. Spacing depends onsoil fertility, soil type, crop management, dis-ease prevalence, seed size and other growingconditions. Planting depth also depends onseed size, soil type and soil moisture.Generally, seed rhizomes are planted at a

spacing of 20-25 cm x 20-25cm and at adepth of 3.5 to 8 cm. This gives 160,000 to250,000 plants per hectare. Other things con-stant, planting density, within the specifiedrange, is positively associated with yield. It requires between 2,400 kg and 5,000kg

of seed rhizomes to plant one hectare of landon high density fields. In Jamaica, ginger issometimes spaced at 15cm-20cm x 30cm-45cm.

Shading and intercropping:Shade is not absolutely necessary for gingerproduction. However, research confirms op-timum yield at 25% percent shade, with shad-ing up to 75% giving superior yield tounshaded fields. In Jamaica, ginger is grownpredominantly in the hilly terrains, where nat-ural shading is between 20% and 40%. Ginger is a suitable for intercropping, es-

pecially with tree crops that require relatively

wide planting distance (8m-9m x 8m-9m).Gently sloping land, with deep well-drainedsoil is ideal for intercropping ginger and treecrops (eg. cashew, nutmeg, coconut and cof-fee). Cash crops such as okra, pigeon peasand corn are also suitable for intercroppingwith ginger.

Fertilizer Fertilizer is one of the major costs in gingerproduction. Hence, attention should be givento applying the correct grade and quantity offertilizers, at the appropriate time in the cropcycle, and in a suitable form to optimize nu-trient uptake and yield. It is critical that fertilizer requirement be

determined by soil fertility analysis, whichwill indicate the concentration of primary (ni-trogen, phosphorus and potassium - NPK),secondary (calcium, magnesium and sul-phur), and micro (boron, copper, iron, chlo-rine, etc) nutrients in the soil. The recommended doses of primary nutri-

ents (NPK) in ginger production are 75-100kg, 50-70kg and 50-70 kg of N, P2O5 andK2O per hectare (ha), respectively. Applica-tion of organic matter to the soil can reduceinorganic fertilizer requirement and improveyield. In fact, ginger yield is reported to bepositively associated with organic matter ap-plication up to a total of 50 tons/ha. The fertilizer regime in ginger production

in Jamaica typically takes the form of a singleapplication of 14-28-14 or 18-18-18 blendfertilizer during land preparation. However,in general, this practice does not represent themost economical use of fertilizer.

MulchingMulching is important to improve soil struc-ture and fertility, reduce soil erosion, con-serve soil moisture and suppress weedgrowth. Mulching should be done at the timeof planting, and again immediately afterweeding and fertilizing. Mulching is particu-larly essential for ginger grown on slopes andunder rain-fed conditions. Green leaves, grassclippings and sugarcane trash are excellentsources of mulch.

Weeding and Moulding Weeds compete with the economic plant fornutrients, sunlight and space and should besuppressed in the ginger field. Ginger ishighly susceptible to diseases and nutrient de-ficiency and will succumb to the stressesfrom overgrown weeds. The first weeding isdone at about 4-8 weeks after planting. Two or more weedings may be needed to

adequately suppress weed growth. Fertiliz-ing and moulding (earthing up) should, as faras possible, be done just after weeding.Moulding is essential to prevent exposure ofthe rhizome and to create soil volume for freerhizome growth. Moulding also improvespercolation, aeration and activities of soil or-ganisms.

Crop RotationAs part of good agricultural practice, it is rec-ommended that the ginger crop be rotatedevery 2 to 3 crop cycle (year) for one or twocycles, with crops of different nutrient de-mand and pest and disease susceptibilities. Inaddition to restoring soil fertility, crop rota-tion helps to break pest and disease cycles.Suitable crops for rotation with ginger arelegumes (peas, beans, peanut), solanaceae

(eggplant, peppers, and tomato), maize, leafyvegetables (cabbage, lettuce, pak choi).Roots crops (yams, potatoes, etc) are not con-sidered suitable for rotation with ginger,given their susceptibility to nematode infes-tation.

Water managementGinger can be grown under rain-fed and irri-gated conditions. The ginger plant requiresabout 1500mm of well-distributed rainfall peryear, with a dry season during the harvestingperiod. Mulching, contour planting, inter-cropping, and ridges / raised beds contributeto greater soil moisture conservation. Gingercan be irrigated by drip or sprinkler methods,with the former recommended for fertigationand the latter where ginger is grown withoutshade.

DiseasesGinger Rhizome Rot (GRR)- This is the maindisease affecting ginger production in Ja-maica. The GRR disease was detected in1995 and has progressively worsened overthe years. The disease affects all parts of the plants

and is manifested in flaccid/wilted leaves,suppressed chlorophyll and premature dryingof leaves. Rhizomes affected by GRR dis-ease may look healthy outside. Internal tis-sues of the rhizome may look lighter ordarker in colour than normal, and may give afoul odor. Normal-looking rhizomes that areplaced in storage typically shrivel or rot aftertwo to three weeks, if they are diseased.The disease is caused by a complex of or-

ganisms (Fusarium spp., Pythium spp.,Pseudomonas spp.) The pathogens arespread by seed rhizomes, soil, tools, and per-sonnel. .

Leaf SpotsLeaves may have small, whitish spots withyellow edges. These get larger and spread,making the leaf yellow then brown, eventu-ally killing it. Early in the crop, it can causesevere losses by lowing photosyntheticprocesses.

Bacterial WiltThis has not been detected in Jamaica, but isknown to affect ginger plants in most pro-ducing countries.

Harvesting:Physiologically, the ginger crop is ready forharvesting about 9 months after planting,when the leaves begin to turn yellow. How-ever, harvesting can be delayed until the veg-etative portions have fully died back at about12 months after planting. In Jamaica, har-vesting is done manually by digging the rhi-zomes from the soil with a garden fork orshovel. Soil and debris are removed and therhizomes washed in potable water, before airdrying and packed in polypropylene orjute/burlap bags. The crop is harvested in De-cember for the fresh/retail market and fromJanuary to April for processing.--------------------------------------------------------

For further information contact: Sylburn Thomas, General Manager

Export Division, Ministry of AgricultureMarcus Garvey Drive, Kingston

Tel: (876) 923–8878 Email: [email protected]

TECHNICAL GUIDEProducing Ginger in Jamaica

Submitted by Sylburn Thomas

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Zin-giberaceae. The production of ginger in Jamaica dates back to the early 1500s. Gin-

ger production has been concentrated in the parishes of St. Thomas, Manchester, Clarendonand St. Ann.


PES-TI-

CIDE• Chop any cooked food very finely– NO BONES!• Until 3 months of age the puppyshould be fed four times daily• From 3 to 6 months – three times aday-From 6 to 12 months –twice a dayIntroduce new foods gradually• Always prepare and serve foodunder clean conditions• Do not serve hot food – let it coolfirst• Remember milk is not a meal by it-self• Provide plenty of fresh water andcheck it several times a day• Commercial puppy chow is a bal-anced diet, and provides all the min-erals and vitamins required by agrowing pup.

For the very young ones the feedmay be moistened.

VaccinationsVaccinating boosts the immunity ofthe animal, and is especially impor-tant for young puppies, as it pro-vides them with the ability to fightoff infection all through adult life.Ideally, the first vaccination shouldbe given at 6 weeks, and subse-quently at three-week intervals until16 weeks of age. At the same timede-worming is recommended at 17-21 days, and then every 3 weeks inconjunction with vaccination.

HeartwormThis condition is spread by the biteof mosquitoes, and can be fatal. All

animals should be given regularheartworm protection medication,especially puppies. A blood test isperformed by 6 months of age to en-sure the animal is clear, the prophy-lactic is administered, and continuedthereafter on a monthly basis. Rou-tine testing should be done at leastonce a year. Symptoms vary, but common

signs are coughing, weight loss, lackof energy, depression and shortnessof breath. Heartworm can be treated, but the

treatment is very expensive, andtotal rest is a MUST for at least fourweeks afterwards. There is no guar-antee that the animal will stay freeof heartworm, and monthly prophy-lactics should continue to be given.

In the long run prevention is better,and cheaper, than cure (J.S.P.C.A.’sprices are very reasonable).

LeptospirosisLeptospirosis is a disease caused byspiral shaped bacteria called lep-tospires. It occurs worldwide andcan affect humans as well as many

wild and domestic animals, includ-ing dogs and cats, although infectionin cats is rare).The bacteria are spread through

the urine of infected animals, whichcan get into water or soil and cansurvive there for weeks to months.Humans and animals can become in-fected through contact with this con-taminated urine. The bacteria canenter the body through skin, eyes,nose, or mouth, especially if the skinis broken from a cut or scratch.Drinking contaminated water canalso cause infection.If your pet has become infected, it

most likely came into contact withrat urine. Your pet may have beendrinking, or walking through con-taminated water.

Caring For a New Puppy

� NUTRISPHERE -N: This can improve the yields poten-tially by improving nutrient avail-ability. Certain soil bacteriaconvert nitrogen fertilizer into NI-TRATES that are prone to leachingand volatilization. NutriSphere-Nselectively inhibits unwantedchemical reactions without harm-ing the bacterial spectrum in thesoil. Plants can do more with nitrogen

in its AMMONIUM form thanthey can with NITRATES. That means less leaching, less

volatilization and more availablenitrogen to aid development,growth and yield potential. A 10-15% increase in yield po-

tential can be expected when Nu-triSphere- N is added to the mix.Urea as a source of nitrogen inyour formulation is treated withNutriSphere - N.

� AVAIL: There is evidence fromAVAIL on various soils of an addi-tional 30-40 % more P being takenup by the plant that would relate toa much greater efficiency of the Pfertilizer being applied. AVAIL also decreases the nega-

tive impact of Aluminum on acidsoils. When high concentrations ofAluminum (Al) are present in afield there are associated increasesof Al toxicity and poor P mobilityfrom the soil solution into theplant. AVAIL tends to over-come theseconcerns and would improve Pperformance by up to 50%. This is huge and should mean a

great deal to the producer who isinterested in seeking the most P ef-ficient material available. DAP as asource of phosphorous and nitro-gen in your formulation is treatedwith Avail.

� WOLF-TRAX (DDP) Micronutrients: This technologyprovides 100% coverage with mi-croelements. In comparison, granular mi-

cronutrients make up less than fivepercent of the final fertilizer blend,making even distribution acrossthe field much harder. Wolf-TraxDDP micronutrients are designedto coat and affix to each prill of dryN, P, or K fertilizer.Recommended rates are lower

than traditional micronutrient ratesbecause the technology enables theuse of fertilizer prills to more ef-fectively deliver the micronutrientthroughout the soil pr granular mi-cronutrient technology that may beinefficiently distributed in the soil.

� Elemental TIGER 90CRSULPHUR:

Uses and advantages:Provides direct nutritive value(plants require sulphur essential el-ement).Improves the efficiency of other

plant nutrients particularly nitro-gen and phosphorous.Utilizes both sulphate and sul-

phur for effective sulphur fertility.Minimizes losses due to leaching.Effective soil amendment withlarge S applications, due to largeamount of sulfuric acidproduced.Reacts with free lime (CaCO3 )

converting to soluble calcium sul-fate (gypsum)Improves soil structure and water

penetration.In some studies it was proven to

increase sugar content in sugarcaneand banana by 10-23%, while im-proving purity by 0.8% on alkalinecalcareous soil.

New Technology in Plant Nutrients

PP EE TT CC OO RR NN EE RR

Send questions and comments:Hedda Rose-Pitter, Sales ManagerNewport-Fersan (Jamaica) Ltd.

Lot 2A / 2B Wherry Wharf Complex, Newport East, Kingston 5Tel: 967-5815 Fax: 948-3772

[email protected] • www.fersan.com.do

the agriculturalist-june 2012

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