the agriculturalist newspaper march 2013

365-2054

VOL. 24 NO. 1 • MARCH 2013 FREE WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

Brown sackedThe Agro-Investment Corporation(Agro-Invest), the agricultural invest-ment facilitation and advisory divisionof the Ministry of Agriculture and Fish-eries is in search of a new chief execu-tive officer (CEO) following the sackingof CEO Hershell Brown since February14, 2013. See page 3

By Patrick MaitlandEditor-The AgriculturalistEight months after imposing a 16.5%General Consumption Tax (GCT) onselected farm produce and input

supplies, farmers are facing additional taxesas the government announced new Customsfees and other tax measures which is ex-pected to yield $15.9 billion.Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance &

Planning announced in Parliament on Feb-ruary 12, several new taxes including theapplication of a Customs AdministrationFee (CAF) on all imports except for chari-table organizations and the bauxite sector.Property tax will also be adjusted as well asthe stamp duty and transfer tax for property.Buyers are currently taxed on a discountedrate, but with the new measure they willpay the full rate. These measures are ex-pected to yield approximately $1.2 billionand take effect on April 1, 2013.The new fees include an import process-

ing fee of $20,000, motor vehicle process-ing fee of $55,000 and a $1 million for bulkcargo inspection fee. There will also be anincrease in taxes and fees paid at the ports.These measures will be implemented onMarch 1, Minister Phillips revealed. Government senator and president of the

Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Nor-man Grant says his organization is access-ing the full impact of the new tax measuresand was in dialogue with the Ministry of Fi-nance to ensure protection for farmers. “Weunderstand the challenges facing the gov-ernment as it seeks to balance the books,while ensuring growth and development ofthe productive sector,” Grant adds. The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party

(JLP) spokesman on agriculture JC

Hutchinson says farmers should expectprice increases in coming months as farmstores seek to recoup the additional coststhey will now be forced to pay at Customsunder the new tax measures. "These newtaxes are disincentives to production as thefarmers are already burdened with otherpersonal and farm expenses as a result ofgovernment policy," Hutchinson told TheAgriculturalist.Agriculturalist and marketing and devel-

opment officer at Agro Grace, Howard Ed-wards explains, “Since most of Jamaica’sfarm input supplies including fertilizer,feeds, pesticides, farm tools and otherequipment are imported, farmers and otherconsumers should expect …% price in-creases for most supplies. Edwards also

noted, “this is a very challenging time formost retailers of farm supplies as farmersare already cutting back on their supplies asa strategy to reduce their operational cost.” Andrew Collins, president of the Jamaica

Exporters' Association (JEA) the hike in ex-port fees will directly impact export costs.Among them is the shipping bill fee for ex-port, which will move from J$600 toJ$3,000. The annual private warehouse feewill also move from J$25,000 to J$75,000.“Obviously that is going to increase the costof business, the cost of operating. So it isreally a matter of assessing the impact onoperating cost,” said the JEA president. Hesaid the JEA is evaluating impact of thesefees on the sector.

Continued page 3

Farmers to face additional taxes

Howard Edwards Agriculturalist/Agro Grace

Norman GrantJAS President

Omer ThomasConsultant

JC Hutchinson JLP Spokesman

Peter PhillipsMinister of Finance & Planning

2 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • MARCH 2013 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM MARCH 2013 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 3

EDITORIAL

Jamaican farmers are now being sub-jected to too many government feesand taxes, while receiving very little

subsidies and production incentives.Where else in the world are farmers sub-jected to these charges from their govern-ment?On July 1 last year the government im-

posed new GCT of 16.5% on eggs, livebirds, fish, pet food as well as planting ma-terials including cereals and seeds in theirnatural state, dormant flower bulbs, corns,roots and tubers and nursery stock, veg-etable plants and live trees. The GCT onelectricity was also increased from 10 to16.5%.Despite strong objections from various

stakeholders, farmers and farm leaders,Government did not roll back the taxes. Ef-fective on April 1, 2013 farmers will againface additional expenses as Governmentimposes several new taxes including theapplication of a Customs AdministrationFee (CAF) on all imports except for chari-

table organizations and the bauxite sector. These new taxes will have far reaching

implications for the viability of severalfarm enterprises and projects as more than60% of input supplies are imported. Pesti-cides, fertilizers, farm tools and equipment,seeds/planting material and medication areattributed to more than 50% of the farmersoverall cost of production. Known as the “high cost producer” com-

paring with farmers in other parts of theworld, Jamaican farmers will continue tofind it difficult to compete in most area in-cluding the traditional crops –sugar cane,coffee, banana as well as selected fruits andvegetables.At the current trend of new taxes and in-

creases in government fees, we are pro-jecting an overall increase of 30-40%increase the farmers’ cost of productionduring the next twelve months. We musttake into consideration that any major shiftin the macro economic environment is alsoaffecting the farmers’ usiness and personaland affairs.

As the farmer struggle to maintain via-bility and to keep prices low, the gates arebeing opened for the lucrative farm im-ports. Even when the duties and conces-sions are paid the returns are over 100% inthe case of fruits and vegetables as well asmeat and fish. But, agriculture is too important for us

not to protect and encourage local produc-ers. In keeping with the open-market pol-icy and World Trade organization (WTO)agreement, government cannot outrightplace a ban on the importation of producethat are grown locally, but it can manage

the process in the interest of local farmers.For example, the Minister should not begranting permits for importation of anychicken meat or pork when local supply ishigh. Government continues to pour millions

of foreign exchange to promote Jamaica asa tourism destination, while ignoring themarketing of our farm produce. It makes no sense that “higglers” and

other middlemen continue to earn morethan 80 cents from every dollar that is gen-erated from the farms. Jamaican farmersneed more incentives. No more farm 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.

Focal Point

Farmers can’t take any more taxes!

Publisher & Editor: Patrick Maitland

Advertising Executives:Tricia Reece • Lancelot Williams, Jr

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]

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Continued from page 1“We are still accessing the full impact ofthe new taxes, but our preliminary estimatewould put the increase to 5-10%,” OmerThomas agribusiness consultant predicts.He said that the tax measure would causefurther problems for farmers including con-traction in the economy, inflation leadingto higher prices and instability in the ex-change rate.Property owners have also described the

move as a retrograde step that will lead toa slowdown in the real estate market. TheRealtors Association of Jamaica said first-time property buyers will find it hard to fi-nance their purchase and the revenuemeasures could reopen the avenue to taxavoidance and evasion. According to the Realtors Association,

the ripple effect on the real estate marketcaused by the proposed tax increases willresult in the government losing mass rev-enues from the collection of taxes and feesfrom various groups. Amid strong objections from farmers

Government since July 1, 2012 also im-posed new GCT of 16.5% on eggs, livebirds, fish, pet food as well as planting ma-terials including cereals and seeds in theirnatural state, dormant flower bulbs, corns,roots and tubers and nursery stock, veg-etable plants and live trees. Commercialelectricity was also increased from 10% to16.5%.The new tax measures are part of a

US$750 million, 48-month Extended FundFacility between the government and theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF).

Farmers to face additional taxes Brown SackedContinued from page 1

Brown told The Agriculturalist that hewas asked to quit and was served with athree-month notice in keeping with hisemployment contract. “I was asked to quitfor no apparent reasons, but it would beinteresting to see who is my successor,”Brown said. The Ministry’s chief technical director

Don McGlashan was appointed actingCEO until Brown’s replacement is identi-fied. Chairman Dennis Hickey could not be

reached for comments.Agro-Invest was established in June

2009 following the merger of AgriculturalSupport Services Productive Projects andthe Agricultural Development Corpora-tion (ADC).

Jamaica Beverages Buys Citrus Growers

All is now in place for the sale of theassets of Jamaica Citrus GrowersLimited. A press conference has

been called for Wednesday during whichJamaica Beverages Limited will announcethe purchase of the company's Bog Walkplant and the acquisition of the Jucifulbrand.Jamaica Citrus Growers had for several

years grappled with financial problems.In 2009 an agreement was reached be-

tween the company and the Ministry ofAgriculture for the appointment of an in-terim Manager of the entity. The Develop-ment Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) had toprovide working capital support.

1Farmers to face additional taxes 3 last These measures1 Farmers to face additional taxes 4 2 government as it seeks1Farmers to face additional taxes 5 2 these new taxes are disincentives3 Farmers to face additional taxes 9 1 Property owners have also3 Farmers to face additional taxes 9 2 Association of Jamaica said3 Farmers to face additional taxes 10 1 objections from farmers and leaders3 Editorial 8 2 In keeping with the open3 Editorial last 1 Promote Jamaica as a tourist4 REDI gives Booster shot to Pig Industry 4 3 a view to develop5 Cocoa farmers get training 2 1 Clarendon – joined 5005 Clarke challenges Hutchinson on cooked ‘farm’ data 3 1 Data oncrop production is an estimate5 Sam Lawrence died last 1 Portia Simpson Miller in a 8 Hague show focuses on Research and development 5 1 Childrenpay half


NEWS

Strategies to improve Jamaica’s foodsecurity, and in particular that of thepig/pork industry got a significant

boost with the Jamaica Pig Farmers’ Asso-ciation (JPFA) concentrating efforts onstrengthening its capacity for food safetycompliance and farm management. Through a J$10.8M project financed in

part by the Jamaica Social InvestmentFund (JSIF) through its World Bank-funded Rural Economic Development Ini-tiative (REDI), the JPFA has begun theprocess of developing training manual fo-cusing on quality assurance for slaughterfacilities, wholesale and retail outlets to in-clude jerk facilities.According to President of the JPFA, Mrs

Angella Bardowell, these activities supportwider efforts to increase the competitive-ness of the JPFA through a greater marketshare of Jamaican pork on the domesticmarket. “In addition to quality assurance, other

manuals are being developed for farmmanagement and record keeping. Withtheir proper use, some members will be

technically competent to improve theirown operations and later transfer thisknowledge to others. In addition to themanual, participants will receive instruc-tions on farm record keeping and manage-ment with a view to developingstandardised forms and records for localpig operations. Furthermore, there will be training on the

cost of production modelling and price de-

termination of locally produced pork”, ad-vised Mrs Bardowell as she zoomed in onthe components of the project.The project will also be instrumental in

assisting the JPFA to implement a market-ing campaign geared at increasing porkconsumption among the local populace by10.0% by the end of 2013. “A key elementto improving public perceptions about porkand to convert that into consumption is theguaranteeing of the highest quality foodsafety and nutritional standards so that theconsumer’s confidence of the origin andsuperior eating quality of local pork is as-sured”, Bardowell said.In this regard the JSIF REDI project, an

18-month initiative is expected to result inthe establishment of food quality andsafety management systems that will seean increased supply of healthy animals andan enhanced nutritional status of the popu-lation through the consumption of healthierfoods while at the same time lending sup-port to the national Animal Health andWelfare Policy now in draft and the FoodSafety Policy now before Cabinet.

REDI Gives Booster Shot to Pig Industry

ANGELLA BARDOWELLPresident of the JPFA

By Douglas McIntosh, JIS ReporterConstruction of some 88 houses, ear-marked for development in Spring-field, Clarendon under the

European Union (EU)-funded Sugar Bar-racks Relocation Project, is set to startshortly.A contract for the development, valued

at just over $160 million, was signed onWednesday (February 6) during a cere-mony at the project site.Approximately 209 sugar workers resid-

ing in that community and its environs,who occupied estate barracks for manyyears, will benefit from the houses, slatedfor construction over eight months by theengineering firm Seal Construction Com-pany Limited.Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, in

her remarks at the signing ceremony, saidthe Sugar Barracks Relocation Project is“one of the most satisfying and heart-warming programmes I have presidedover”.“We are building new communities in

which to raise our children in accordancewith the old African proverb…‘it takes avillage to raise a child’. Sugar workers canlook forward to moving their families outof the barracks and into brand new accom-modations. We are not only buildinghouses, we are building communities withfirst class infrastructure,” the Prime Min-ister said.She also expressed gratitude for the sup-

port and partnership of the EU, withoutwhom, she said, “this would not have beenpossible. The Government and people ofJamaica remain grateful for our bi-lateraland multilateral partners.”In her remarks, Head of the EU Delega-

tion in Jamaica, Paola Amadei, said the or-ganisation is happy to extend assistance tothe Government on a project aimed at im-proving the lives of the people, who havehelped to build Jamaica’s sugar industry.

“Today, we are happy to get started on aproject, which will positively impact evenmore lives in Clarendon. This new settle-ment will cater to the social and economicwelfare of its residents, including all basicinfrastructures and including, also, smallscale economic activity,” AmbassadorAmadei said.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister,Roger Clarke, said the project’s imple-mentation marked a major step for the ben-eficiaries, whom he said would, in the longrun, be able to “relax with peace of mindand security that something has been donefor them”.

Sugar Workers Clarendon Get Houses

NEWS BRIEF

Hayles transferredto water ministry

The Office of the Prime Minister,OPM, recently announced thatIan Hayles who was Junior

Minister in the Ministry of Agricultureand Fisheries, has been transferred tothe Ministry of Water, Land, Environ-ment and Climate Change. The state-ment said the re-assignment took effectFriday, December 14. Robert Pickers-gill, who is in charge of the ministry,will advise of Hayles’ specific assign-ment at a later date. Hayles was trans-ferred from the Agriculture Ministryfollowing reports of a rocky relation-ship with Minister Roger Clarke.

MOA sacks Thoms

The Ministry of Agriculture hassacked its director of communi-cations, Cecil Thoms, who was

accused by junior minister Ian Haylesof taping his conversations without per-mission.The sacking comes less than a day

after Director of Public ProsecutionsPaula Llewellyn ruled that no criminaloffence was committed, after reviewingthe file submitted by the police on thealleged taping."My lawyer and I are ex-amining all possible legal options forbreach of redress and, therefore, we willbe contesting this because clearly therehas been a breach of natural justice andwe think that it is something that isworth contesting," Thoms said. Thoms, a former radio reporter, said

the Public Service Commission (PSC)in terminating his services cited Section23, Sub-section 3 of the Public ServiceRegulation of 1961, which states that"you do not need a reason to fire some-one who is on probation".


NEWS

Sam Lawrence DiedMembers of the agricul-

tural sector and grad-uates of the College

of Agriculture, Science and Ed-ucation Alumni Association re-gret the sudden passing ofHeadley Samuel ‘Sam’Lawrence. Lawrence, who was 73, died

after he fell ill and was rushed tothe Port Antonio Hospital wherehe died on Monday, January 28, 2013.A son of the rural district of Riverside, Hanover,

Lawrence graduated from the Jamaica School of Agri-culture in 1962.He completed a Master of Science degree, from Ore-

gon State University, in applied economics majoring indevelopment and finance. Lawrence worked with the Jamaica 4-H Clubs as the

organiser for Clarendon and St Thomas. He worked withthe Jamaica National Building Society as assistantbranch manager. Lawrence later made the move to Man-deville to work at the Alpart Jamaica Ltd as the man-agement systems and procedure coordinator. He worked at the Frome Monymusk Land Company

during the era of the Sugar Workers' Coopeartives of the1970's. Lawrence servered as Member of Parliament for East

Portland between 1989-1997. He also served as Parlia-mentary Secretary in the Ministry of Development, Plan-ning & Production. In 1997, he went on to serve theCaribbean region, for over a decade, as a technical advi-sor at the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana.He also served the Caribbean Community (CARI-

COM) as adviser for agriculture where he was based inGuyana.He is survived by five children and six grandchildren

and was remembered as a devoted father, loyal friend,scholar, a patriot, philanthropist and a politician. His body was interred at the Oaklawn Cemetery in

Mandeville.The Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Millerin a state-

ment, described Lawrence as approachable, diligent andmethodical in carrying out his responsibilities and onewho faithfully served his constituents.

Send your Send your

commentS or opinionScommentS or opinionS

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923-7428•923-7471

Clarke Challenges Hutchinson on ‘cooked’ Farm Data

Spaulding confirmed RADA CEO

The Agriculturalist understands that vet-eran agriculturalist Harold Spaulding hasbeen confirmed as CEO of Rural Agricul-tural Development Authority since January.

Agriculture Minister Roger Clarkeis challenging his Oppositioncounterpart J.C. Hutchinson who

has complained about questionable dataprovided by some extension officers at-tached to the Rural Agricultural Develop-ment Authority (RADA).Hutchinson said the officers were not

doing enough farm visits and questionedthe accuracy and reliability of informationthey provide. “I personally witness a casewhere an extension officer was submittingincorrect estimates of hurricane damagesand his supervisor had to intervene as theofficer failed to provide the proof,”Hutchinson claims.The former Agriculture State Minister

told The Agriculturalist that data on crop

production is an estimate, “they don’tcontact the farmers as the extensionoffiers are limited with traveling.” “Farmers are complaining that they

don’t see their extension officers for overa year.” So how can they collect informa-tion if they don’t visit the farms for over ayear,” Hutchinson questioned.

However the management of RADAhas dismissed suggestions that its officersare fudging the figures and the Agricul-ture Minister is now demanding thatHutchinson explain how the complaintcame about.“But the people out there, the civil ser-

vants and the officers out in the field, theymust know what the true position is andif he has any evidence, bring it to the foreand I’d be prepared to deal with thosepeople who are ‘cooking’ the figures, be-cause I have no vested interest in figuresbeing ‘cooked.’ Whatever the productionis, that is how it is as far as I’m con-cerned,” said Minister Clarke.

Hutchinson and Clarke


BOOK YOUR ADVERTCall 923-7471

By Latonya LintonApproximately 1,000 plan-tain and banana farmersare set to benefit from the

provision of fertilizer and insec-ticide, under the European UnionBanana Support Programme(EUBSP), valued at $13.5 mil-lion.The official handing over cere-

mony for the funds was held onJanuary 30 at the Banana BoxingPlant, in Trinity, St. Mary.Addressing the function, Min-

ister of Agriculture and Fisheries,Roger Clarke, pointed out that thedamage to banana farms as a re-sult of Hurricane Sandy on Octo-ber 24, 2012 in the parishes of St.Mary, Portland and St. Thomasamounted to 93 per cent, 96 percent and 100 per cent, respec-tively.“The level of damage is esti-

mated to cost about $1.1 billionto rehabilitate the farms, commu-nity farm roads and drainage net-

work were all impacted,” Mr.Clarke said.As part of the support package,

approximately 2,500 bags of fer-tilizer and 3,750 sachets of insec-ticide will be available to 1,000legitimate registered banana andplantain farmers in the parishes ofSt. Thomas, Portland and St.Mary who are registered with theRural Agricultural DevelopmentAuthority (RADA) and the Ba-nana Board.Beneficiaries should also be

verified active farmers and suf-fered damage to approximatelytwo hectares and upwards. Theyare selected based on damage as-sessment carried out by the Ba-nana Board.“It is anticipated that distribu-

tion of the materials will com-mence on January 31 and will bemanaged by the RADA parish of-fices in the affected banana pro-ducing belt,” Mr. Clarke said.

The Mavis Bank CoffeeFactory Ltd (MBCF) hasembarked on a number of

initiatives geared at combatingthe Coffee Leaf Rust diseasewhich if not controlled could costthe entire coffee industry US$4million in revenue for the currentcrop and could also affect futurecrops. MBCF’s Norman Grant, man-

aging director/CEO explains thatthe measures which will compli-ment the support now given bythe Ministry of Agriculture andFisheries, the Coffee IndustryBoard and RADA to control thedisease. Grant further says about 500

farmers have benefitted fromthese trainings in Hill Side, Hay-

field in St. Thomas, Silver Hill,Cornwall Barracks, BangorRidge, Seaman’s Valley Carltonin Portland and Constitution Hill,Mt. Friendship in St. Andrew.“The plan is to reach the entire

supplier data base of 5,000 farm-ers over the next 5 to 10 weeks,”he adds. • Mavis Bank Coffee Factory

Extension officers have also at-tended seminars and meetingsheld by the Coffee IndustryBoard.• Five mist blowers have been

deployed within the parishes ofPortland, St.Thomas and St. An-drew. These mist blowers will beincreased to 10 over the next 3weeks.

The teams will operate massspraying of farms. The mistblowers are handled by trainedsprayers which are then hired bythe farmers at a flat rate of $500.• Four hundred and fifty- seven

two pound packs Solcox as wellas one hundred twenty poundnurish fertilizer have been dis-tributed to our farmers.• An additional amount of Sol-

cox and Topsin valued at over$1,000,000 have been orderedand are to be collected and dis-tributed within next week.• Additionally, a spray team

will be in place by next week toassist our farmers as well as wewill intensify training days andfarmers’ meetings over the nexttwo months.

$45 M forDrought MitigationProgramFarmers are to benefit

from a $45 milliondrought mitigation pro-

gramme being implemented bythe Ministry of Agriculture. The programme will establish645 hectares of select crops in13 parishes to counter anyshortfall in cash crops resultingfrom the dry conditions affect-ing the island.It will involve production in-

centives to farmers in irrigatedand non-irrigated areas, to en-courage them to plant addi-tional acreages; and thetrucking of water to dry farm-ing areas in St. Elizabeth.“We will be inspecting farms

throughout the country and wewill be targeting the areaswhere this can happen, as far asproduction goes and we will beselecting the crops which weknow can come very quickly,”Agriculture Minister RogerClarke said.

NEWS

Initiatives to Control Coffee Leaf Rust Disease

Norman GrantManaging Director/CEO Mavis Bank Coffee Factory

By Chris PattersonThe Ministry of Agricultureand Fisheries is seeking theassistance of key regulators

in the United States, to lobby theEnvironmental Protection Agency(EPA) on pesticide options.Minister Roger Clarke, ex-

plained that following on the workof the Food Safety ModernizationAct (FSMA) committee, severalpesticides have been evaluated

and proven effective; however,they are not approved by the EPA.He said the Ministry will be so-

liciting the support of the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture(USDA) and Food and Drug Ad-ministration (FDA) “as we makerepresentation to the EPA for hav-ing other pesticide options, be-sides Botran, which is the onlychemical approved to date”.The FSMA committee was set

up to develop a strategy to im-

prove the capacity of farmers andfresh produce exporters to becomecompliant with the legislation,which is aimed at ensuring thesafety of foods entering the NorthAmerican country. The law re-quires that pesticides are used ac-cording to their EPA-approvedlabel use.Minister Clarke, who was speak-

ing at the opening of a trainingprogramme in good agriculturalpractices at the Knutsford Court

Hotel New Kingston, on February18, also used the opportunity to re-quest the continued support of theUSDA and FDA in strengtheningthe country’s food safety capacity. “You will recall that under Sec-

tion 305 of the new FSMA, thereis a regulation which speaks to‘Building Food Safety Capacity ofForeign Governments’ and wewish to highlight to you that im-mediately, we are available forsuch assistance,” he stated.

Agriculture Ministry to Lobby EPA on Pesticide Use

Banana Farmers Get $13.5 M for fertilizer and insecticide

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Jan Kees Martijn, Head of the Interna-tional Monetary Fund (IMF) mission toJamaica, issued the following statement

February 15, 2013 in Kingston:The mission has reached a staff-level

agreement with the Jamaican authorities onthe key elements of an economic programthat can be supported by a 48-montharrangement under the Extended Fund Fa-cility (EFF), in the amount equivalent toSDR479 million (about US$750 million or175 percent of quota). We have agreed on understandings that

are reflected in the authorities’ economicprogram, as stated in the Letter of Intent thatwill be reviewed by IMF Management andfinalized before the agreement is approved.Staff envisages that the IMF’s ExecutiveBoard would consider the proposed arrange-ment under the EFF by the end of March,subject to the timely completion of prior ac-tions to be taken by the Jamaican govern-ment and obtaining necessary financingassurances.The authorities have announced a debt ex-

change that, along with the fiscal adjustmentand structural reform measures in the eco-nomic program, will help reduce Jamaica’smedium-term financing needs and con-tribute to debt sustainability. In addition tocontinued support from international finan-cial institutions and other official creditors,the success of the authorities’ program willdepend critically on a high rate of participa-tion of private creditors in the debt ex-change. All these elements will help securefinancing assurances for a Fund-supportedprogram.

Over the last three decades, the Jamaicaneconomy has experienced very low eco-nomic growth, declining productivity, andreduced international competitiveness. Animportant factor behind these problems hasbeen Jamaica’s unsustainable debt burden,which has undermined confidence and ele-vated risks to economic stability. Addition-ally, Jamaica’s high debt service has limitedthe government’s potential to provide theservices needed to achieve sustained ratesof growth and increased welfare for its citi-zens.The main objective of Jamaica’s eco-

nomic reform program is to contain thecountry’s rising economic and external vul-nerabilities and address economic imbal-ances, while putting Jamaica on a path of

sustainable growth. The program also aimsto promote macroeconomic and financialstability, including through achieving andsustaining higher primary fiscal surplusesthat can help underpin debt sustainability,pave the way for private-sector led growththrough the implementation of a compre-hensive set of structural reforms, and pro-mote social stability through enhancedsocial protection for the most vulnerable.This involves implementing a coordinated

set of reforms to: (i) strengthen public fi-nances, including through comprehensivetax reform, expenditure rationalization, andimproved public debt management and pub-lic financial management; (ii) enhance theresilience of the financial sector throughstrengthened supervisory, regulatory, andcrisis management frameworks; (iii) im-prove growth-generating efficiency throughenhancements to the business environment,increased competitiveness, and strength-ened institutional capacity and governance(including through a broad legislativeagenda); and (iv) protect the most vulnera-ble and promote economic self-reliance, in-cluding through the establishment of a flooron social spending, maintaining the realvalue of PATH (Program of Advancementthrough Health and Education) benefits, andexpanding re-certification and the Steps-to-Work program.Jamaica, which became a member of the

IMF on February 21, 1963, has a currentIMF quota of SDR273.5 million (aboutUS$434 million).”

IMF Addresses Jamaica’s Economic Imbalances

Jan Kees Martijn Head of IMF Mission to Jamaica

Low returns for piginvestors - study

The findings ofa new studyshow there are

low returns for in-vestors from the pigindustry.The study was con-

ducted by the RuralEconomic Develop-ment Initiative, a project of the JamaicaSocial Investment Fund and the Ministryof Agriculture.The report indicates that profit in the pri-

mary segment of the industry is about 6.5per cent and declining.It suggested that the rate of profit should

be about 12.5 per cent which could beachieved with added investment.Key report features include ten opportu-

nities for improving the value and conse-quential benefits of the local pig / porkindustry and notes that imported porkproducts as a percentage of consumptionis 27 per cent.This, the report states, is very high when

compared with global standards of under6 per cent. The report noted that pork consumption

as a percentage of total meat consumptionin Jamaica is 6% and decreasing comparedto 10 per cent in the US.The report suggests that improved pro-

duction up the value chain should producenew and differentiated products to stimu-late demand to the level where it is at least10 per cent of total consumption of meat.Source: www.radiojamaica.com

Agri Life Foundation has been established as a non-profit organization to foster and encourage farmers to become more self-sufficient and competitive in a free market economy. One of the main ways that the Foundation will achieve these goals is through collaboration, professional support

and advisory from experts in the field. Such collaboration will provide a platform where individuals from academia, business, government, and the farming community can share research-basedinformation and technology regarding environmentally sound management and profitable

agricultural production practices.For further information:

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


Hague Show focuses on Research and Development

HAGUE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD FAIR

The Jamaica Agricultural Societypresents its 58th annual staging ofthe Hague Agricultural and Food

Fair on Ash Wednesday, February 13, 2013.According to the organiser and parish

manager, Trelawny, Jamaica AgriculturalSociety, (JAS) Denise Ramdatt, this year’stheme is 'Research and development, tech-nology transfer and investment in agricul-ture.'The event will be held on the Hague Show

Grounds near Falmouth in Trelawny. In ad-dition to the regular parade of animals, therewill be the judging of agricultural exhibits,but there will be many other competitionsincluding; Champion farmer, Branch Com-petition, Livestock Competition, coconuthusking competition and farm queen pres-entation.Kids entertainment includes a kiddies vil-

lage, video games, bounce a bout, merry-goround and face painting.The show is sponsored by HiPro feeds,

The Jamaica Public Service Company, TasteTropics, Nutramix and Fersan Fertilizers.Admission to the event is $600 for adults.

Children pay half price. Activities com-mence at 6 am and go until 2:00 am.This year, there will be a stage show and

gospel concert the day before (February 12).Since starting in 1952, the Hague Show

has been a significant feature for show-

goers as the event serves to showcase asample of products and bi -products fromthe parish of Trelawny and its surroundingareas.The Hague Agricultural Show not only

gives the farmers of Trelawny an opportu-nity to showcase their produce but alsoclearly demonstrates the collaboration andsupport of agriculture by corporate agenciesand non-government organizations.

Denise RamdattJAS Trelawny Manager Once more it is my

pleasure to endorsethe annual staging

of the Hague AgriculturalShow. Congratulations are in

order for the organizers asthis show has been success-fully staged year after yearfor 58 years. These agricultural shows

showcase the efforts of ourfarmers in general, and in

the case of The HagueShow, it highlights the ef-forts of the industriousfarmers of Trewlany. Since 2008 the global

economy has been movingthrough a series of crises,the world has experiencedfood and financial crisesand we are now sufferingfrom what appears to be apersistent recession. The Ministry of Agricul-

ture and Fisheries stands

ready to provide the neces-sary guidance and facilita-tion for sustainability of theagricultural sector.

Since 1952 theTrelawny Branch So-cieties have success-

fully staged the annualHague Agricultural andLivestock Show. Sixty-one years later, this

exposition of the finest live-stock and agricultural pro-duce for which the parish ofTrelawny is renowned, isstill recognised as the pre-mier event on the localfarmers’ calendar. The contribution of the

parish of Trelawny to the

development of the agricul-ture sector is legendary.Trelawny was at the epicen-tre of our cattle industry andfor many years the HagueAgricultural Show was amajor trading ground forcattle breeders. In addition, South

Trelawny produces upwardsof seventy-percent of Ja-maica’s annual yam export,with the ‘Bolt magic’ givingbrand recognition to the fa-mous Trelawny YellowYam.

Trelawny is richly en-dowed with some of themost beautiful gifts of na-ture which can be success-fully and sustainablyharnessed for social andeconomic benefits.

Our Finest Livestock andAgricultural Produce

Patrick Allen Governor General

Roger Clarke Agriculture Minister

The Industrious Farmers of Trewlany


This administration regardsthe contribution of theagricultural sector as inte-

gral to national development, soit is with great pleasure that Icommend the 2013 staging of theHague Agricultural and Live-stock Show which is another op-portune event for the nation tofocus on the development of ouragricultural sector and also tocommit to the support of our localfarmers and the agriculture in-dustry.Food security is an important

ingredient in achieving economicprosperity and the Governmentplaces particular importance onmaking agriculture one of theleading sectors to assist in theprocess. We are mindful that agri-culture has been a driving forcebehind some of the leading

emerging economies in the worldand we stand ready and steadfastin supporting the development ofthe industry. Congratulations on this year’s

staging of your Agricultural andLivestock Show and I wish youevery success in making the 2013Show most exciting and prosper-ous.

HAGUE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD FAIR

An Integral Part ofNational Development

The agricultural sector isthe platform to facilitategrowth and development

in any society. Given adequatesupport in realizing the tremen-dous potential that this sector hasto offer we will not only be ableto directly contribute to the liveli-hood of over 200,000 farmers butalso greatly assist in the progres-sion of the over 2.6 M peoplethroughout Jamaica. Our nation has premium in-

digenous agricultural producethat is unique, globally rankedand difficult to replicate andmuch of Jamaica’s strengths res-onates with agriculture. The Hague Show offers a

means to promote agriculture andallows patrons to gain an appre-ciation of the various develop-ments within the sector. With thetheme of the show being “Re-search and Development, Tech-nology Transfer and Investmentin Agriculture” It is also expected

that this show will focus on in-novative means of bringing agri-culture to the fore through thedemonstration of protective tech-nology, tissue culture and otherpractical means to make the sec-tor more appealing to the youth,the future of our nation. May God continue to bless us

all and give us the fighting spiritto endure the challenges that faceus and impart practical solutionsto ably assist to make a better Ja-maica for all.

Portia Simpson MillerPrime Minister

Norman W. Grant, President JAS

Jamaica’s StrengthsResonates with Agriculture

Get your copies of Almanac 2013

923-7471

10 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • MARCH 2013 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM26 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • AUGUST 2012 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

BY SYLBURN THOMAS [email protected]

TURMERIC (Curcuma Longa L.) Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhi-zomatous perennial plant of the gin-ger family (Zingeberaceae). The

plant is propagated from its rhizomes whichmay vary in length from 5-7.5cm and areready for harvesting at about 9-12 monthsafter planting.Although turmeric grows in many parts of

Asia, Africa and the Americas, India is theworld’s largest producer, accounting for80%-85% of global production and 60% ofexports. Turmeric is used mainly in thefood, pharmaceutical and cosmetic/personalcare industries.

In commercial turmeric production sev-eral key factors must be considered:1.Location (site) – topography, soil andrainfall; 2.Planning and site preparation -land preparation, spacing and plant propa-gation; 3.Planting and maintenance - plant-ing out, weed control, fertilizing and pestand disease control.

LOCATION (SITE)Topography - Turmeric can be grown suc-cessfully on diverse terrains, ranging fromflat lands, to undulating and slopes. In Ja-maica, turmeric grows naturally in the up-land plateau regions and gently undulatingslopes in the parishes of St. James, Hanover,Westmoreland, Clarendon, St. Thomas,Portland, St. Mary and St. Andrew. The cropthrives at elevations from almost sea-levelto about 1,500 metres above sea-level.Soils-Turmeric thrives best in well-

drained fertile loams and alluvial depositsrich in organic matter and uniform in tex-ture. The crop grows best on moderatelyacid to neutral soils (pH5.5-7.0) and is sus-ceptible to waterlogging, especially duringthe latter half of the production cycle.Rainfall - Turmeric requires a warm and

humid climate and is generally grown as arain-fed crop but can also be irrigated.Under rain-fed conditions, the crop requiresabout 1,500mm of evenly distributed rain-fall over an 8-10 month period.

SITE PREPARATIONAND PLANTING

Land preparation -The land should becleared of all vegetation and ploughed/har-rowed to a fine tilth. Fallowing for 30 to 60days allows weed seeds to germinate andmay reduce microbial load in the upper 2-3inches of the soil. There are two generalmethods of planting turmeric:Seed beds – Beds of convenient length are

formed one metre wide, with a spacing of30cm between beds. Seed rhizomes (20g -40g in weight) are planted 25cm across and30cm along the beds, giving about 133,333plants per hectare. High density planting ofturmeric requires closer crop management.Ridges and furrows – Furrows are made

45cm-60cm apart and seed rhizomesplanted 20cm apart along the ridges, giving83,333 to 111,111 plants per hectare. Ap-

proximately 2,500kg of turmeric plantingmaterial is required to cultivate one hectareat “seed” weight of 20g-40g (1-2 viablebuds). The lower plating density under fur-row and ridge system is associated with in-creased weed population and lower outputper unit area.

PLANT PROPAGATIONTurmeric is propagated asexually frommother and primary finger rhizomes. Thereis no significant yield variation betweenmother and primary finger rhizomes of thesame weight, but mother rhizomes tend toproduce earlier and more tillers, which areeffective in weed suppression. Diameter ofdaughter/primary finger rhizomes of thesame mass varies positively with yield. Sec-ondary rhizomes are inferior to mother andprimary rhizomes as planting material.Turmeric yield varies positively with “seed”weight up to 20g, optimizes between 20gand 40g, and shows no covariation above40g.Varieties - In the genus Curcuma, to which

turmeric belongs, over 30 varieties havebeen recognised. Currently, not much infor-mation is available on varieties of turmericgrown in Jamaica. However, Jamaicanturmeric has been quantitatively confirmedamong medium curcumin varieties.

PLANTING AND MAINTENANCEPlanting out – Ideally, the crop should beplanted between March and May duringfavourable weather conditions. The fingersare cut into pieces each 4-5cm long (1-2buds), and the mother rhizomes are planted

as such or parted into two. The seeds can besprouted under moist straw (coir) beforeplanting. Turmeric may be planted in purestand or inter-cropped as the main or sub-sidiary crop, with varying planting density.Turmeric should not be intercropped withallergenic plants such as peanuts and treenuts or with host plants of rhizome rot orbacterial wilt pathogens.

FERTILIZING Under intensive turmeric production sys-tems, manures are applied supplementary toinorganic fertilizers. Manures should at alltimes be applied strictly according to goodagricultural practices to avoid adulterationof the final product. Poultry manure is prob-ably the most concentrated of all manuresavailable in Jamaica, containing about3%N, 3%P2O5 and 2%K2O. Under certainconditions, particularly on the lighterbauxitic soils, it is advantageous to use well-decomposed organic manures at rates ofabout five tons per hectare. In addition tosupplying macro nutrients, manures containimportant micro nutrients and also help inimproving soil structure. Biochar is particu-larly efficient in improving the moisture re-tention capacity of soils.Quantity and timing of fertilizers–

Turmeric requires 70kg, 50kg and 60kg, ofN, P2O5 and K2O, respectively, per hectare,which can be derived from organic and orinorganic fertilizers. The actual applicationof fertilizers should be determined from soilanalyses, target yield and expected nutrientdynamics. With target yield above 22mt/ha,it is common to supply up to 20% more ofthe macronutrients.Nitrogen (N) is usually the most critical

fertilizer element as far as amounts and tim-ing are concerned, as it is more rapidlyleached from the soil. It is advisable toapply nitrogen fertilizers to turmeric fieldsthree times per crop cycle. Potassium (K),which is relatively less mobile than nitro-gen, is applied twice and, Phosphorus (P),the most immobile of the macronutrients, isapplied once at the time of planting. About 20% of the N requirement is made

available at the time of planting and the re-mainder applied as top dressings in twoequal doses; the first dose at 60 days afterplanting in combination with 50% of theK2O requirement and the second dose 30

days later. The Phosphorus (P) fertilizer and50% of the K2O are placed at planting. Dueto the wide difference in nutrient applica-tion, straight fertilizers are preferred overcompound NPK formulations in turmericcultivation.Magnesium (Mg) and Calcium (Ca) are

only required on very acid soils (soils withpH lower than 5.0) and should be applied asbasal soil dressings. It is unlikely that mi-cronutrients or trace elements deficiencieswill occur in the nutrition of turmeric. How-ever, where needed, these may be applied asfoliar sprays and responses are usuallyrapid.Several plant hormones and nutritional

products are commercially available to sup-plement traditional plant nutrition pro-grams. However, care should be exercise toprevent agrochemical contamination of thefinal product and that the agrochemicals areapproved in the intended export market.Fertilizer placement - Placing fertilizers is

often more difficult than broadcasting.However, the advantages are significant,viz:� Subsurface placement of phosphate fer-tilizer is more amenable to uptake by roots.� Urea may be used in preference to Am-monium Sulphate as the Nitrogen source inthe fertilizer programme because of itshigher N content. Subsurface application ofurea reduces volatilization.� Competition from weeds is considerablyreduced with subsurface fertilizing.� Erosion losses of subsurface fertilizer arenegligible.

WEED CONTROLMulching the turmeric beds with greenleaves helps to suppress weed growth, re-tain soil moisture, reduce erosion and pro-vide nutrients in the decomposed state.However, during decomposition, nitrogen isabsorbed from the soil and could result intemporary nitrogen deficiency. For the ben-efit of weed control, green mulching is doneimmediately after planting, and then at 40-50 days intervals as needed. The economicsand environmental impact of this practiceshould be carefully considered. Due to thehigh turmeric plant density, weed growth isconsiderably suppressed after about 90 daysin the crop cycle. It is customary for weed-ing to be done about two times during thecrop cycle. To control weeds in the inter-rows, a suitable selective herbicide may beused. Mechanically working between theridges can control weeds when the crop isplanted in ridge and furrow system.

INSECT PESTS AND DISEASESIn Jamaica, turmeric is not known to be af-fected by diseases. However, under inten-sive cultivation, field should be monitoredfor any emergence of pests and diseases.

Harvesting is done 9 months after plant-ing.

TECHNICAL GUIDEGrowing Turmeric for Profit

Turmeric in the field

For further information contact:Sylburn Thomas, General Manager, Export Division, Ministry of Agriculture

Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston • Tel: (876) 923–8878 • [email protected]

Reaped turmeric


Look Out For 2013

Book your advert toToday...

[email protected]

Monsanto Modified-Seed Royalty Accord Opposed by Brazil Groups

by Agrimoney.comPressure on sugar prices is "unlikelyto fade" until at least the last quar-ter of 2013, thanks to the boost to

supplies offered by surprisingly strongBrazilian production, the InternationalSugar Organization said.The organisation raised by more than

2.3m tonnes, to 8.53m tonnes, its forecastfor the surplus in world sugar output in2012-13. "A higher crop in Brazil hasboosted the surplus further," the ISO said,lifting by 2.2m tonnes, to 40.3m tonnes,its estimate for sugar output in the topproducing country.The estimate for world production in

2012-13 was lifted by 2.81m tonnes to arecord 180.4m tonnes, in raw sugar

terms, well ahead of consumption, forwhich the forecast was raised by 470,000tonnes to 171.8m tonnes.

'Bearish pressure'The unexpectedly large Brazilian pro-

duction, notably in the key Centre Southregion, had been the "most influential"factor in the continued decline in sugarprices, which last week hit a 30-monthlow, for a spot contract, of 17.87 cents apound on New York's Ice futures market."Dry weather in the closing months of

Brazil's Centre South harvest allowedproduction in the region to race ahead ofmarket expectations," the ISO said.And with a "rather low probability of a

return to a deficit phase in the next crop

year", prices look unlikely to recover."It seems that the bearish pressure on

world market prices is unlikely to fade,at least before the end of the current sea-son in September."

Competition for caneThe ISO's assessment of sugar price andproduction forecasts comes despite an es-

timate of a 12% jump in 2013 to 23.9bnlitres in Brazil's output of ethanol, whichcompetes for cane with sugar in the SouthAmerican country.Ethanol consumption in Brazil is seen

rising by 10.4% to 21.2bn litres.Many commentators have raised grow-

ing competition between sugar andethanol for cane as a major support forprices of the sweetener, after Brazil re-vealed it was to raise to 25%, from May1, the level of ethanol its blenders mustmix into gasoline.New York's March raw sugar contract

stood down 1.6% at 18.06 cents a poundin late morning deals, with the better-trade May lot down 1.5% at 17.85 centsa pound.

Pressure on sugar prices 'unlikely to fade'

Record chickenprices bode wellfor US producersby Agrimoney.comRecord chicken prices bode well for

US poultry groups, SandersonFarms said, even as it unveiled a

surprise quarterly loss, and warned thathigh grain prices will continue to instil a"challenging cost environment".The Mississippi-based company warned

that conditions for the US chicken industrywere "still challenging", restating a fore-cast last week of continued "weak de-mand" from the food service industry,besides flagging elevated feed costs."We continue to experience high grain

prices, and expect a challenging cost envi-ronment throughout the fiscal year," JoeSanderson, the group's chairman and chiefexecutive, said."Corn supplies are at their tightest level

in 15 years, which will likely keep upwardpressure on grain costs at least until themarket gets some visibility into the quan-tity and quality of the 2013 crops."

Record pricesHowever, Mr Sanderson also highlighted

the rise in chicken prices, despite risingnumbers of eggs being placed for growinginto broiler hens, signalling rising outputahead.Egg sets, after remaining below year-be-

fore levels for most of 2012, "have trendedhigher over the past few weeks", reaching198.7m in the latest week, up from 197mthe previous week and 194.7m a year ago.Meanwhile, the US Department of Agri-

culture forecasts domestic broiler meatproduction growing by 264m pounds, to37.3bn pounds this year. "Despite slightlyhigher chicken production, market priceshave remained the same or move higher,indicating at least some improvement indemand," Mr Sanderson said.Chicken prices, as measured by the

benchmark Georgia dock rate, reached arecord 100.5 cents a pound for wholechickens, according to latest weekly data,up 9.8% year on year.

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg):Brazilian farmer groups are opposinga contract that Monsanto Co., theworld’s biggest seed company, is of-

fering farmers to end a dispute over royaltypayments on its genetically modified soy-bean seeds.Monsanto is trying to resolve uncertainty

over its ability to collect fees on its new In-tacta soybeans, which the St. Louis-basedcompany is scheduled to start selling inBrazil during the next growing season.The contract would waive royalties on

Roundup Ready soy, an older technology,this year and next. In return, farmers wouldforgo claims in a patent dispute and pay roy-alties on seeds not yet on the market. Thefuture payments are opposed by the Brazil-ian National Agriculture Federation, a groupof farming associations also known as CNA."We reject the individual contracts offered

by Monsanto," Katia Abreu, the head ofCNA, said today in an e-mailed statement."We expect Monsanto to take back the con-

tracts that are already signed and present anew document.""We are working to understand CNA’s

concerns," Kelli Powers, a Monsantospokeswoman, said today by phone.The Parana State Federation of Agricul-

ture, known as FAEP, also said it opposedthe agreement. Glauber Silveira, head ofBrazil’s soybean growers association, saidfarmers shouldn’t sign and should continuepursuing royalty claims in court."We believe producers are being tricked

into signing a contract that will get themtrapped to Monsanto for every new technol-ogy," Silveira said today in a phone inter-view from Cuiaba, in the state of MatoGrosso.

Roundup HerbicideGrowers who sign the contract won’t pay

a technology fee in the current and subse-quent growing seasons on soybean seedsthat are genetically modified to tolerateglyphosate herbicide, Monsanto said in a

statement last month. The herbicide is mar-keted by Monsanto as Roundup. Farmerswho sign will waive the right to try recoup-ing royalties previously paid.The agreement would resolve claims by

growers that the patent on the originalRoundup Ready soybeans expired in 2010,ending their obligation to pay Monsantoroyalties on the seeds. Monsanto argues thatBrazilian law extends the patent to late2014.The company’s Intacta seeds are engi-

neered to produce an insecticide while alsotolerating Roundup.Monsanto suspended royalty collections

in Brazil for two months last year after acourt ordered a halt in Mato Grosso. Thecompany as told investors not to count onany revenue from Brazilian soybeans thisyear. A forecast made Jan. 8 for profit in thecurrent fiscal year excluded an estimated 20cents to 25 cents a share of earnings fromsoybean sales in the country.


TECHNOLOGYNew Technology Reduces Agricultural Water Consumption

A regular copy in everybody’s interest...

The AgriculturalistBook your advert...

Tel: 923-7471 • Fax: [email protected]

www.tropicalfarmersalmanac.com

By Erica Gies, ContributorIndependent environment

reporter, founder of ThisWeekInEarth.comFaculty at the University ofGeorgia have invented aneasy-to-use, GPS-based

technology that allows farmers tomore accurately target irrigationneeds, reducing water consump-tion by an average of 15 percent.

Most of our water use worldwidegoes to agriculture, so reducingthat amount will be critical as ourpopulation grows and climatechange makes water supplies lesspredictable.The Ceres Aqua Gauge report I

mentioned yesterday paints thatpicture:The rising global population (es-

timated to grow from 7 billion to9 billion by mid-century) togetherwith economic growth in emerg-ing markets will mean burgeoningdemand for both potable water andfood. Agriculture now accountsfor roughly 70 percent of globalwater use, but as dietary changes

in developing countries raise de-mand for water-intensive foodssuch as meat and dairy, this pro-portion will grow yet higher. With-out efficiency gains, agricultural

water demand is expected to growby 45 percent — or an additionalannual 1,400 billion cubic metersof water per year — by 2030.

While historically wet, the South-east United States have seen per-sistent drought conditions over thepast decade and legal conflictsover water. That makes Georgia’sFlint River basin, where farmersgrow thirsty cotton, corn, peanuts,and pecans, a good provingground for this technology.A common method of irrigation

is the center pivot, which projectswater 360 degrees, creating thecrop circles obvious from an air-plane. The Flint River basin has6,250 center-pivot systems. Theproblem with this technology isthat it sprays water blindly, evenacross areas too wet to plant, suchas grass waterways, seasonal wet-lands, permanent ponds, a lake onthe edge of a field.Around 2004, University of

Georgia faculty Calvin Perry, Stu-art Pocknee, and Craig Kvien, de-veloped variable rate irrigation(VRI), which allows farmers to se-lectively turn off specific nozzlesas the pivot crawls over patchesthat don’t need water.

This year, they made the systemeasier for farmers to use. The pre-vious version required a farmer todevelop a water application mapon a computer, upload that map toa thumb drive, and transfer it to theirrigation controller. Using thenew push-button version, “hewould just walk his irrigation sys-tem to one of these areas he wishesto not apply water … push the but-ton to tell the controller, ‘this iswhere this anomaly starts.’ Hethen walks the system to the faredge of the anomaly, pushes an-other button, which says, ‘this iswhere that ends,’” said Perry, whoworks in the university’s Collegeof Agricultural and EnvironmentalSciences.The VRI equipment, sold by

vendor Advanced Ag Systems outof Dothan, Ala., is expensive:about $5,000 for a modular, lim-ited system and up to $30,000 fora large, full system, according toPerry, who acknowledged thatmost farmers can’t afford it.

Calvin D. Perry, research and extension engineer with the Univer-sity of Georgia, uses a field map to program a variable rate pivot ir-rigation system.

By Tomio Geron, Forbes Staff Farmers are the last peopleyou’d expect to have thelatest high technology soft-

ware.But a new startup, Farmeron,

provides farmers with web-basedtools to make managing theirlivestock from their computerseasy.Farmeron has just raised $1.4

million in seed funding co-led byLee Hower of NextView Ven-tures and Jeff Clavier’s SoftTechVC. Other investors includeReshma Sohoni of Seedcamp,Dave McClure of 500 Startups,Robin Klein of The AcceleratorGroup and Naval Ravikant. Thecompany previously wentthrough the 500 Startups incuba-tor program in Mountain View,Calif.Farmeron’s CEO Matija Kopic

was born and raised on a farm inCroatia. He started the companyas a project while in college afterrealizing that his father alwayshad a hard time managing all thedata from his farm. Much of thisdata came in large spreadsheets,which made parsing the data dif-ficult.With Farmeron, farmers get a

web-based dashboard that pro-vides real-time data about theirfarms, even down to the level ofeach individual cow. This data

could include milk produced,weight, medical treatments,health issues, reproduction and soon. The data is presented in brightgraphs and charts. The companyhelps farmers to gather the datafrom various sources on theirfarm. Typically the data is avail-able but just needs to be collectedand analyzed, Kopic says.Kopic visited numerous farms

in Europe to find out what theyneeded. While still in Croatia,Kopic initially raised funding viaAngelList, one of the early start-ups to take advantage of the angelfunding website.Farmeron, launched in Novem-

ber last now has 450 corporatefarms using the product.Farmeron also has a new partner-ship with Germany-basedNeelsen Agrar, a farm equipmentcompany with operations in morethan 30 countries. Nellsen Agrarwill help sell Farmeron to itsclients.

COW TECH:Farmeron Harvests Seed

Funding For Farm Software


For a New Puppy

Chop any cooked food very finely– NO BONES!

Until 3 months of age the puppy shouldbe fed four times dailyFrom 3 to 6 months – three times a dayFrom 6 to 12 months – twice a dayIntroduce new foods graduallyAlways prepare and serve food underclean conditionsDo not serve hot food – let it cool firstRemember milk is not a meal by itselfProvide plenty of fresh water and checkit several times a dayCommercial puppy chow is a balanceddiet, and provides all the minerals and vi-tamins required by a growing pup. Forthe very young ones the feed may bemoistened.

VaccinationsVaccinating boosts the immunity of theanimal, and is especially important foryoung puppies, as it provides them withthe ability to fight off infection all throughadult life. Ideally, the first vaccinationshould be given at 6 weeks, and subse-quently at three-week intervals until 16weeks of age. At the same time de-worming is recommended at 17-21 days,and then every 3 weeks in conjunctionwith vaccination.

HeartwormThis condition is spread by the bite ofmosquitoes, and can be fatal. All animals

should be given regular heartworm pro-tection medication, especially puppies. Ablood test is performed by 6 months ofage to ensure the animal is clear, the pro-phylactic is administered, and continuedthereafter on a monthly basis. Routinetesting should be done at least once a year.Symptoms vary, but common signs arecoughing, weight loss, lack of energy, de-pression and shortness of breath. Heartworm can be treated, but the treat-

ment is very expensive, and total rest is aMUST for at least four weeks afterwards.There is no guarantee that the animal willstay free of heartworm, and monthly pro-phylactics should continue to be given. Inthe long run prevention is better, andcheaper, than cure (J.S.P.C.A.’s prices arevery reasonable).

Jamaican Society for thePrevention of Cruelty to Animal929-0320: [email protected]

www.jspca.info

Pet CareThe Rual Agricultural Development Au-thority (RADA) communicates with

farmers through text messages sent to reg-istered farmers prior, during and after a dis-aster to help farmers in managing theiroperations. Brochures on disaster preventa-tive measures are available at the RADAparish offices and at our websitewww.rada.gov.jm .

What farmers should dobefore a hurricane:

Check radio weather broadcasts periodi-cally for latest forecasts and warningsMaintain drains, check dams, diversion of

ditches as necessary.Keep fruit trees no more than 15 feet tall

and not overhanging buildings.Cut back tree branches and open the

canopy so wind passes through readily thusreducing the level of damage during thestorm.

Reap matured fruits and store in a cool,dry place for use after the event.Make a checklist of all farm animalsRemove cattle and small ruminants from

low lying areas to higher ground away fromriver banks and areas likely to have land-slides or flooding.

Stockpile feed and place at least 2 feetabove ground in dry, flood-resistant andleak-proof areas to last at least one week.

Remove irrigation lines and equipmentand store in area secured from damage.

Establish protected seedling productioncentres for early replanting after a hurri-cane.

During a Hurricane:Maintain open communications with all

farm personnelNever prune during the hurricaneNever shelter under a tree during the hur-

ricane. Trees attract lightning and are there-fore dangerous to humans and livestock.Stay away from broken branches and up-

rooted trees.Do not risk your life trying to save ani-

mals from drowning

After a Hurricane:Call your RADA extension officer, Parish

office, farmers' group representative, Agri-culture Emergency Operations Centre andreport the damage caused by the hurricane.Assess property for damage to buildings,

animals, crops, equipment etc.Be alert and look for fallen or broken high

powered electrical wires which may still bealive and dangerous.

Do not turn on electrical devices untilproper checks by a competent person con-firm it is safe to do so.Dispose of dead animals immediately, by

burial or burning. Report signs of livestockdistress/infection to livestock officer or vet-erinarian.

In cutting broken or fallen trees, makesharp, clean cuts at a 45 degree angle to pre-vent water settling on the cut surface.

For further information, contact your ex-tension officer, your RADA parish office orcall our toll free number 1-888-ASK-RADAor 1-888-275-7232.

Hurricane Tips for Farmers

Look Out For 2013

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Jamaican PorkJamaican PorkEat Eat

HARVEY’S MEATSAND FARMS LIMITED

Executive SecretariatJamaica Pig Farmers’ Association193 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, Jamaica

Telephone/Fax: (876) 977 0952E-mail: [email protected]: www.jamaicapigfarmers.org

A Healthy Choice

This initiative is funded by a grant award from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) World Bank-funded Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

RICH IN PROTEIN

PORK FACTSVALUABLESOURCE OF IRON

LESS CALORIESTHAN BEEF ORCHICKEN

JPFA Capacity Building For Food Safety Compliance And Farm Management Project

Eat Jamaican Pork - A Healthy ChoiceEat Jamaican Pork - A Healthy Choice

Eat Jamaican Pork - A Healthy ChoiceEat Jamaican Pork - A Healthy Choice

The festive season is once again upon us. As we take time out to worship, spend time with family and friends, many of us do enjoy a scrumptious piece of pork, ham or other by-products of the pig.

The JPFA thanks you for continuing to choose local pork. Be assured that you are recieving the best value for taste and nutrition. Our pigs are reared on the highest quality feeds under interna-tionally accepted production, food safety and environmental protection standards.

Pork provides over 50 products and by-products with essential fatty acids along with fat soluble vitamins and minerals that are important as part of the daily diet for normal growth and healthy skin. The calorie content of lean pork is much lower than perceived because of its high protein content. Pork compares favourably with other meats and poultry for fat, calories and cholesterol. So, Eat Jamaican Pork: A Healthy Choice.

We want you to continue enjoying the superior eating quality and integrity of Jamaican pork. To this end, we will unveil our quality seal in the coming weeks. Make that mark your warranty for choice pork and the guaranteed standard for local pork. It is our goal to increase pork consumption by 10% in 2013. We welcome your continued support to achieve this goal. Join us in support of our Jamaican farmers. Join us to strengthen our food security strategies.

May you have a ‘porkfect’ holiday season and all the best for the coming year.

Angella Bardowell (Mrs)PresidentJamaica Pig Farmers’ Association (JPFA)

Merry Christmas from the Executive and members of the JPFA!

EaEat Jt Jamaict JEa

amaicamaicamaicamaican Pan Pan Porork - A Hk - A Hk - A Hk - A Healthealthealthealthealthy Cy Choichoichoichoicehoicy Cealthk - A Horan Pamaic

e

Eat

EatEatEat

Eat

Ja

JaJaJaEat

EatEatEat

Po Po

Por Por Po krk Porrkrrrrkk Po kkr

k

EaEat Jamaicamaicamaicamaicamaican Pan Pan Pan Pork - A Hk - A Hk - A Hk - A Hk - A Healthealthealthealthy Cy Cy Choichoicehoicealthoran Pan Poramaict JEa

Pork provides over 50 products and by-products with essential fatty acidsalong with fat soluble vitamins and min-erals that are important as part of thedaily diet for normal growth andhealthy skin. The calorie content of leanpork is much lower than perceived be-cause of its high protein content. Porkcompares favourably with other meatsand poultry for fat, calories and cho-lesterol.

Eat Jamaican Pork: A Healthy Choice.

the agriculturalist newspaper march 2013

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