VOL.22 NO. 5 • OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011 FREE COPY WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

365-2054

BLACK FARMER IN JAMAICA:Jamaican born UK farmer Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones (left), presents a copy of his black farmer cook-book to former president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Senator Norman Grant, fol-lowing a luncheon hosted by the JAS at the Courtleigh Hotel, New Kingston, recently. At centre isJAS President, Glendon Harris.

Jamaican-born Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, Britainleading black farmer, and head of the £8 million

Black Farmer brand which produces meats,sausages and sauces for the UK market, visited Ja-maica, recently.

Emmanuel-Jones who was making hisumpteenth trip back home since rediscovering hisroots in Clarendon several years ago, was here as aguest of the National Commercial Bank (NCB),which had invited him to be the guest presenter attheir Nation Builder Awards ceremony on October25.

"I want to launch in Jamaica next year," he said,adding that his medium- and long-term plans alsoinclude Black Farmer restaurants and brand of BlueMountain coffee.

During the visit he met with Minister of Agri-culture and Fisheries, Hon Robert Montague, theleadership of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS)and business leaders to discuss the possibility of ex-porting his famous brand of food products to Ja-maica.

He was born in Frankfield, Clarendon in 1957and moved to the UK with his parents in 1961.

He grew up in Birmingham, joined the BritishArmy, became a chef and appeared on BBC TV’s“Food and Drink,” before going into farming.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for theBritish Tory party in the 2010 General Election inChippenham.

JAMAICAN DOING GOOD IN UK Turns To Home Market

The FDA claimed that be-cause a high percentage of somefoods—such as seafood and freshfruit—served in U.S. householdsand restaurants are imported, thelaw gives FDA important newauthority to hold imported foodsto the same standards as domesticfoods.

This authority includes: Im-porter accountability - For thefirst time, importers have an ex-plicit responsibility to verify thattheir foreign suppliers have ade-quate controls in place to ensurethat the food they produce is safe.

Third-party certification - Itestablishes a program throughwhich qualified third parties cancertify that foreign food facilitiescomply with U.S. food safetystandards. This certification maybe used to facilitate the entry ofimports.

Certification for high-riskfoods—FDA has the authority torequire that imported foods thatare at high risk of contaminationhave credible third-party certifi-cation or other assurance of com-

pliance, as a condition of entryinto the U.S. The “third party”could be a private company or agovernmental entity.

Voluntary qualified importerprogram—FDA must establish avoluntary program for importersthat provides for expedited re-view and entry of foods from par-ticipating importers. Eligibility islimited to, among other things,importers offering food from pro-gramme-certified facilities.

Authority to deny entry—FDA can refuse entry into theU.S. of food from a foreign facil-ity, if the agency is denied in-spection access by the facility orthe country in which the facilityis located.

The law also directs FDA todevelop a plan to expand thetechnical, scientific, and regula-tory food safety capabilities offoreign governments and their in-dustries. Part of the plan includestraining foreign governments andfood producers on U.S. foodsafety requirements.

ExportersFace More

RestrictionsBy The Agriculturalist Reporters

Come January next year, local companies which export tothe US will face increased inspections under the new Act

by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It enablesFDA to more effectively guard against food-borne illness byfocusing on prevention, as opposed to reacting to contamina-tion and other food safety problems after they happen.

2 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

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EDITORIAL PAGE

With several hundreds of the cases re-sulting in serious health issues and death,the US government is taking steps to pre-vent or reduce these outbreaks by develop-ing what is called “the tools needed torapidly track down foods that may be con-taminated.”

The FDA Food Safety ModernizationAct (FSMA) was signed into law by USPresident Obama on January 4, 2011. Itaims to ensure that US food supplies aresafe, by shifting the focus of federal regu-lators from responding to contamination topreventing it. The mission is to “keep un-safe foods, drugs, devices and other prod-ucts from reaching US consumers.”

Among the prevention measures usedby the Food and Drug Administration, isthe issuance of import alerts, to keep po-

tentially dangerous products from othercountries out of the U.S. marketplace.More responsibility is being placed on im-porters to verify that the products they ex-port are not contaminated.

Come January 2012, Jamaica andother countries exporting to the US willface increased inspections under the newAct by the US Food and DrugAdministra-tion (FDA). For the first time, exporters tothe US will be specifically required to havea programme to verify that the food prod-ucts they are bringing into the country aresafe.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are in-creasingly recognized as a source of food-borne outbreaks in many parts of theworld, and not just the US.

This reflects a convergence of in-

creasing consumption of fresh produce,changes in production and distribution, anda growing awareness of the problem on thepart of public health officials.

Jamaican producers and farmers arenot the American problem, as Jamaicanfood accounts for less than 1% of the totalUS food imports and no serious cases offood poisoning have been linked to Ja-maica.

Furthermore, most of the foodborne

outbreaks are linked to domesticAmericanfarms and processing facilities. Therefore,improving Jamaica’s processing facilitiesmay not be of much much help to Ameri-cans, but the Jamaican consumers will ben-efit significantly.

Jamaica should, however, put in placesimilar “Food Safety ModernizationLaws”, to protect our consumers fromtainted imported foods from the US andother countries.

byPATRICK MAITLAND

Publisher -The Agriculturalisteditor@theagriculturalist.com

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

FFooccaall Point

Jamaican consumers also need protection!In recent years the US media has frequently reported that their consumers have

been facing widespread outbreaks of food borne illnesses tied to foods—suchas spinach, peanut butter and eggs—that are staples of the American diet.

By Agrimoney.comSugar futures look a better betthan coffee and, especially,cocoa, thanks to the fears of

further setbacks to output of thesweetener in Brazil, the top pro-ducer, Commerzbank said.

The bank said that arabica cof-fee futures would average 250cents a pound in New York in thelast quarter of the year, in line withcurrent prices, given that the sea-sonal risk of frost has abated, andwhat damage was caused by coldweather should "be already di-gested".

And it lowered by $300 atonne, to $2,700 a tonne, its fore-cast for New York cocoa futures inthe October-to-December period,reflecting an estimate of a worldproduction surplus in 2010-11which the International Cocoa Or-ganisation has pegged at a 22-yearhigh of 325,000 tonnes.

The ICCO last week lifted itsestimate for the world cocoa outputin 2011-12 to a modest surplusover demand, from ideas of a smalldeficit.

"The price of cocoa does notlook impressed by these develop-ments," Commerzbank said.

'Productivity may continue todrop'

However, the bank forecastNew York's near-term raw sugar lotaveraging 27.0 cents a pound in thelast quarter of 2011, dropping to 26cents a pound in the followingquarter – prices higher than themarket is factoring in.

Commerzbank price forecastsfor cocoa, coffee and sugar futures:

Cocoa: Q4 2011, $2,700 atonne; Q1 2012, $2,700 a tonne;Q2 2012, $2,800 a tonne

Arabica coffee: Q4 2011, 250cents a pound; Q1 2012, 230 centsa pound; Q2 2012, 200 cents apound

Robusta coffee: Q4 2011,$2,100 a tonne; Q1 2012, $1,900 atonne; Q2 2012, $1,850 a tonne

Raw sugar: Q4 2011, 27.0cents a pound; Q1 2012, 26 cents apound; Q2 2012, 23 cents a pound

New York's October sugar lotstood below 26 cents a pound inmidday trading in New York, withthe March 2012 contract tradingunder 25 cents a pound.

While output prospects hadimproved in many countries, theoutlook for Brazil remained inquestion, given growers' reluctanceto renew plantations.

"There are fears that produc-tivity in the ageing [cane] planta-tions may continue to drop unlesscountermeasures are initiated with-out delay," the bank said.

"Most sugar cane producersare keen to profit from the highprices and…. are reluctant to re-plant their fields, as this wouldmean waiting more than a year forthe first cropping."

'Prices to remain rather high'Furthermore, output in Thai-

land, the second-ranked exporter,looked set to fall short of last sea-son's record of 9.6m tonnes, and inthird-ranked Australia, productionalso remain "below the normalamount", if up 600,000 tonnes to4.2m tonnes year on year.

This at a time when China'simports look set to rise to 2.5mtonnes in 2011-12, to meet a deficitcaused by rising demand at a timewhen "production has actuallybeen declining for years, due inpart to the fact that other productshave often won the battle for plant-ing acreage".

"We expect prices to remainrather high, especially as uncer-tainties regarding productivity andweather conditions are not likely toend," Commerzbank said, caution-ing investors to prepare for signifi-cant price swings too.

"Sugar is likely to live up to itsreputation as a volatile market."

• The home-going Service ofThanksgiving for the life andwork of the late RaymondBrown, father of agriculturalistsGeneva and Roy "Izak" Murray,will be held on Saturday No-vember 12, 2011 at the Churchof God of Prophecy ConventionCentre, 41 Old Harbour Road,Spanish Town at 10:a.m. Inter-ment in the Dovecot MemorialPark.• Condolence to SylvesterChristie, Export Complex Man-ager of the Plant QuarantineProduce Inspection Branch onthe recent passing of his mother,Ms Ives Watson. The funeralservice for Ms Watson will beheld on Saturday Nov 05, 2011at the Halifax Church of God -Halifax, St Ann at 11:00 am. In-terment will be in the familyplot at Halifax. • Rose Howard-McFarlane ofCambridge St James died onOctober 31,2011 at the CornwallRegional Hospital, St. James.She was formerly employed atthe Hanover Land Authority asan Extension Officer in the1980's and then later served ashead of the Agriculture Depart-ment at Hampton High School,St Elizabeth.

Send info:editor@theagriculturalist.com

By Norman GrantJAS, vice-president

The Jamaica Agricultural Soci-ety (JAS) notes with regret

the passing of one of our heroesin the agricultural sector, GeorgeBarnes.

Barnes served the farmersand the people of Jamaica withcommitment, dedication, purposeand distinction.

He was also as a dedicatedemployee of JAS where he wasBranch Organizer for Kingstonand St. Andrew-JAS.

After retirement, he served inthe volunteer arm of the Kingstonand St Andrew Association ofBranch Societies, and in the1980s was treasurer of the ABS,and continued to be a member ofthe JAS for over 60 years.

He was a pioneer in the co-operative movement, having beena founding member in the estab-lishment of the St Andrew CoffeeCo-operative.

Barnes was a team playerand one that embraced changeand youth involvement in theJAS.

Sincere condolences to hischildren, grandchildren and entirefamily. Our prayers are with you.

May his soul rest in peaceand light shine on him always.

IInn ttrriibbuuttee ttoo GGeeoorrggee BBaarrnneess

THE LATE GEORGE BARNES

Publisher: Patrick Maitland

Admin/Advertising Director:Susan Wissant

Advertising Executives:Nordia Paul; Bernadette Kerr

Consulting Editors: Vincent Wright,Jairzenho Bailey

Produced & Published by:CMC Communications Ltd

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

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

Sugar outlook 'better bet'than cocoa or coffee

44 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

NEWSSpecial line of creditfor Onion and Irish

Potato farmers

A$250 million special line of creditto be made available to farmers ofonion and Irish potato has been an-

nounced by the Development Bank of Ja-maica (DBJ).

The objective of the line of credit is toincrease the production of both crops byestablished farmers with a proven trackrecord.

The arrangement resulted from a re-quest by Agriculture Minister Robert Mon-tague, who asked the DBJ to join with theNational People’s Cooperative Bank(NPCB) to source the funds.

The DBJ will lend $250 million to theNPCB which will disburse the funds tofarmers in the amount of up to $2 millionper borrower at 7% interest per annum,over a loan term of four to six months.

To participate, farmers must be regis-tered with the Rural Agriculture Develop-ment Authority (RADA), must have acontracted buyer and must attend theFarmer Field School training programme.

---------------------------------EU wants to stop sugar

production limits

The European Union (EU), theworld's largest grower of sugarbeets, wants to stop limits on do-

mestic sugar production in 2015.Sugar quotas should expire on Sep-

tember 30, 2015, the European Commis-sion, the EU's regulatory arm, said. At themoment, the quotas cap how much sugarcan be produced for the EU's domestic mar-ket.

The EU spent four years, since 2006,shrinking its sugar- beet industry to complywith a World Trade Organisation (WTO)ruling limiting exports, turning the EU intoa net importer. As a result, Nestlé is amongthe food companies to complain of a lackof supplies, reported ingredientsnet-work.com.

The WTO ruling limits EU exports ofsubsidised sugar to 1.37 million metrictons. Beet growers have been asking to in-crease the amount of sugar they can shipoutside the region, as well as how much canbe sold for food use within the bloc.

Robert Montague, Minister of Agri-culture and Fisheries, and his State

Minister, JC Hutchinson, retained theirposts in the Cabinet of Prime MinisterAndrew Holness, which was sworn in atKing's House on Tuesday (October 25).

The Cabinet members were sworn inby Governor- General, Patrick Allen.

In his remarks following the ap-pointments, Holness said the Cabinet re-flected the capacity of the representationin Parliament, and also represented hardwork, innovation and the new directionin which he plans to chart the govern-ment.

The members of the Cabinet are:Prime Minister Holness, as Minister ofDefence and Education; Dr. KennethBaugh, Deputy Prime Minister and Min-ister of Foreign Affairs and ForeignTrade; Audley Shaw, Minister of Financeand Planning; Edmund Bartlett, Ministerof Tourism; Senator Dwight Nelson,Minister of National Security and Leaderof Government Business in the Senate.

Christopher Tufton has retained hisportfolio as Minister of Industry, Invest-ment and Commerce; Horace Chang,Minister of Housing, Environment,Water and Local Government; PearnelCharles, Minister of Labour and SocialSecurity; Rudyard Spencer, Minister ofHealth; Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Ministerof Youth, Sports and Culture; LesterMichael Henry, Minister of Transportand Works; Clive Mullings, Minister ofEnergy and Mining; and Delroy Chuck,Minister of Justice and Leader of Gov-ernment Business in the House of Repre-sentatives.

Changes were made in the portfolioresponsibilities of Daryl Vaz, who re-mains Minister without portfolio in theOffice of the Prime Minister with re-sponsibility for Telecommunications andPublic Sector Efficiency instead of infor-mation; Senator Arthur Williams, theMinister without portfolio in the Cabinet

Office with responsibility for PublicService is now in charge of Information;and Shahine Robinson is now Ministerwithout portfolio in Ministry of Housing,Environment, Water and Local Govern-ment with responsibility for Local Gov-ernment.

The Ministers of State are Dr. StAubyn Bartlett, Ministry of National Se-curity; Laurence Broderick, Ministry ofEnergy and Mining; Neville Andrew

Gallimore, Ministry of Labour and So-cial Security; Othneil Lawrence, Min-istry of Transport and Works; DesmondGregory Mair, Ministry of Education;Senator Marlene Malahoo Forte, Min-istry of Foreign Affairs and ForeignTrade; Senator Warren Newby, Youth,Sports & Culture; and Michael Stern,Ministry of Industry, Investment andCommerce.

Montague and Hutchinson Retained Their Positions

Robert Montague Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries

JC HutchinsonState Minister-Agriculture and Fisheries

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WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 5

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Agricultural ProfessionalsWe need to recruit an experienced Agronomist andCrop Production Specialists with the following spe-cialties to provide long and/or short term professionaloperational services for a major development projectin a member state of the Caribbean Community:

• Project Agronomist• Crop Production Specialist - Banana• Crop Production Specialist - Papaya• Crop Production Specialist - Pineapple• Pasture Specialist - Grass & Legume• Post harvest & Packaging Specialist

If you believe you possess the requisite skills andexperience to perform any of the above functionswith an acceptably high degree of proficiency, submityour resume.

Agro ProcessingProfessionals

Experienced Agro Processing professionals areneeded for long and/or short term employment to de-velop and produce value added products from farmproduction. The locus of operation will be in a mem-ber state of the Caribbean Community.

There is need for the following 4 specialists:• HACCP• Quality Control• Factory Manager• Quality Manager

To guide and develop a program leading to ISO andHACCP certification and to other food quality stan-dards with western hemispheric currency.

Submit Application and Resume:E-mail: agriculturalist@gmail.com

Please submit resume onor before December 1, 2011

TheAll-Island Coffee Growers' Associ-ation has blasted the Government for

the planned divestment of the state-ownedWallenford Coffee Company, which it de-scribes as the island's most prized coffeeasset.

"The Wallenford brand is the mostrecognised brand in the world. The brandshould never be divested," said OswaldO'Neally, president of the association.

O'Neally said the coffee company"should be kept and owned by the peopleof Jamaica," adding that "it was built onthe blood and sweat of the farmers" andquestioning "what are we going to have forour heritage?"

Wallenford Coffee Company is thelargest licensed processor of coffee beans,processing both Jamaica Blue Mountainand High Mountain coffee. The companyowns about 2,430 acres of land, of which

405 acres are under coffee cultivation.It also operates factory and processing

facilities, several farms in the Blue Moun-tain region, a pulpery, as well as propertylocated on Marcus Garvey Drive inKingston.

Its assets total some $2.77 billion,with capital and reserves of $445.3 millionas at July 2011, according to documenta-tion in the Jamaica Public Bodies, pub-lished by the Ministry of Finance. It wasprojected to lose $1.5 million for its latestfinancial year, having amassed an accu-mulated deficit of $1.5 billion.

The industry is currently experiencinga decline with sales down 40 per cent dueto the softening of the major market inJapan, which traditionally purchased 85per cent of the total crop. It has meant re-duced earnings for both farmers and ex-porters of the crop, which usually earnabout US$25 million annually.

Coffee Farmers BlastPrivatization of BlueMountain Coffee

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister,Robert Montague has announced a 23%

price increase in the price of cocoa to farm-ers.

The farmers will now be paid J$ 2,000as total payment per box of wet cocoa for theOctober/2011 to September 2012 crop fromJ$1, 620.00 last year.

The increase was approved at a recentBoard of Director’s meeting where the Boardprojected 900 metric tonne (MT) for the2011/2012 crop.

The cess paid to group collectors andsecretaries per wet box is also to be increasedfrom J$40.00 per wet box each to J$50.00 forthe 2011/2012 crop year.

Minister Montague, says the govern-ment has an aggressive plan to increasecocoa production locally and the increasedprice to the farmers is an important elementof that plan. “Cocoa production has been de-clining for many years and there is a hugeoverseas market for Jamaican cocoa whichwe are not meeting.

An increase in local production wouldnot only mean enhanced rural developmentbut also generate jobs in many poor, deeprural communities”.

“Historically, cocoa farmers have al-ways responded positively to price increasesby producing more and I am confident thecocoa farmers will rise to the call to producemore” the Agriculture Minister said.

Meanwhile, Secretary Manager of theCIB, Steve Watson, says for the past twocrop years adverse weather conditions havenegatively affected production, but notes thisyear is different. “We believe this year’sweather conditions have been favourable andbarring no weather disasters we can achievethe increase in production from 213MT to900 MT we have projected.

We will also benefit from the significantinvestment in the sector by our multilateraldonor partners, the United StatesAgency forInternational Development (USAID) and theEuropean Union (EU) who have rehabili-tated approximately 2000 acres of neglectedcocoa fields. This has set the stage for im-proved production over last year” Mr. Wat-son said.

Cocoa Price Increased by 23%

Steve WatsonSecretary Manager, CIB

Coming SoonComing SoonFarm Life FoundationFarm Life Foundation

66 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

FOCUS ON JAMAICA 4-H CLUBS

‘To Make The Best Better’TTHHEE JJAAMMAAIICCAA 44--HH CCLLUUBBSS

Providing Training For The Nation's Youths (Age 5-25)

Creating Better Leaders For Tomorrow

95 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, Jamaica WI Tel: 927-4050-2 • Fax: 978-3209

E-mail:jamaica.4h@cwjamaica.com • Website: www.jamaica4hclubs.com

Cabinet has recently given ap-proval for the appointment of 14members to the Board of Direc-

tors of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs.They will serve for two years with

effect from September 2011.Minister with responsibility for in-

formation, Daryl Vaz who was speakingat a Post Cabinet Press Briefing said Mr.Vindell Kerr has been reappointed asChairman of the Board.

Additional members of the Boardare: Devon Wint, Damion Barker,Collin Virgo, Albert Shand, KavanGayle, Phillip Andrew Bunting, YanekeWatson, Andrew Blake, JacquelineHendricks, Beulah Smith, Marsha Den-nie, Tova Hamilton and Jean Nesbeth-Young.

Jamaica 4H mission is “to mobilize,educate, and train young people be-tween the ages of 9 – 25 years in agri-

culture, homemaking, leadership andsocial skills, which will prepare themfor or influence them into careers inagriculture and agro-related occupa-tions, and provide a cadre of trainedyoung leaders, capable of contributingto national development.”

14 Appointed To4-H Clubs Board

Vindell KerrChair, Jamaica 4-H Clubs

Thank You Sir:Jamaica 4H Clubʼs executive director Lenworth Fulton presents a trophy to aclubbite at the Denbigh Show 2011 Youth in Agriculture Awards Ceremony.

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 7

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NEWS

• ASc. in Agricultureor Natural Science• Bachelor of Technology Degreein Environmental Science• ASc. in Agricultureor Natural Science• Bachelor in Science Education

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MMAANNUUFFAACCTTUURREERR OOFF TTHHEE YYEEAARR::Deninis Valdez, managing director of Newport Fersan (3rd l) holds the Manufac-turer of the Year cup while (l-r) Custos of Kingston and St. Andrew, Steadman Fuller,Mr. Karl “Butch” Hendrickson, Chairman of EXIM Bank, Lisa Bell, Managing Direc-tor of EXIM Bank and President of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, BrianPengelley look on. The presentation took place at the JMA annual awards ceremonyheld recently in Kingston.

BBRREEAAKKTTHHRROOUUGGHH PPRROODDUUCCTT OOFF TTHHEE YYEEAARR::Past President of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, Doreen Frankson pres-ents the Breakthrough Product to Agricultural Chemical Plant’s managing directorGraham Dunkley for their eco-friendly “Tropi-gro Insect Powder,” at the JMA annualawards ceremony held recently in Kingston.

RRIICCEE HHAARRVVEESSTTEERR:: Agriculture & Fisheries Minister, Robert Montague, examines freshly reaped ricehe harvested using a state-of the-art rice harvester donated by the Archer DanielsMidland (ADM) Cares to rice farmer Dr. Hershell Lindo. The harvesters valued atsome US$300,000 has the capacity to reap some 22-25,000 tonnes of rice within a10hr workday. -MOA Photo

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

By Raymond Martinrdmartinja@gmail.com

Jamaica and the rest of the world are strug-gling with the challenges of food security.Food is available yet inefficient distributionand inequities in income are increasing thenumber of people who go hungry. One pos-itive sign that has emerged, is organic pro-duction.The benefits of organic production in-

clude: an equal to conventional in output; or-ganic produce remains fresh and healthylonger; the produce has less toxic chemicals;and organic farming sustains and preservesour food biodiversity.These activities also reduce health costs,

both to the nation and personal finances, forillnesses that account for a significant pro-portion of death and diseases.Organic produce have higher nutrient

value. The production is easier and more af-fordable for small farmers, who provide thebulk of local provisioning and it preventslandslides and land and crop loss duringfloods and disasters. Organic farming contributes to climate

change mitigation and reduction, having 46-66% less carbon emissions than conven-tional farms.

State of organic agriculture Organic groups worldwide are actively

working to protect local biodiversity. Mem-bers of the Jamaica Organic AgricultureMovement (JOAM) are currently steward-ing Indian kale, whitehouse banana andother crops.The global market for organic food and

drink is US$55 billion (Organic Monitor,2011). This is an increase from the US$18billion made in 2000. Demand for organic isconcentrated in Europe and North Americaand, according to the World of Organic Agri-culture, 2011, there were 1.6 million organicproducers in 2009.

Production is increasing in the rest ofthe world, but what about Jamaica? Local promotion of organic agriculture is

being led by JOAM. It has published an or-ganic handbook, worked with the Ministryof Agriculture to draft an organic policy andwith the Bureau of Standards Jamaica todraft the CARICOM Code of Practice forOrganic Production.There are currently three certified organic

farms in Jamaica and four applications arebeing processed. There is potential for rapid growth. There

are now more than 40 farmers who havestarted the process of conversion, and areproducing using organic principles. There isalso increasing demand for the produce andseveral hotels, restaurants and supermarketsoffering organic produce. Unfortunatelymost of this demand is currently being metby imports.

What makes a product organic?A product is considered organic if it was

produced and processed in accordance withan organic standard, which outlines mini-mum production practices and handling re-quirements which must be followed for theproduct to be labelled and sold as organic. Steps should also be taken to protect the

organic integrity during handling, and the

product must not be mixed with conven-tional products, prior to reaching the con-sumer.

How can you identify organic products?You cannot tell by looking. Someone has

to verify organic integrity from the point ofproduction. Organic certification is when athird party gives written assurance, that aproduct has been assessed and conforms tothe specified organic standards.JOAM has established a local certification

system, and works with CERES for interna-tional certification.

Steps in the certification processThe Producer/Processor contact the certi-

fication body (JOAM in Jamaica) and com-pletes an application form. The certificationbody reviews the application and, if it ful-fills the requirements, an inspector is sent tothe farm/processing facility. The inspector reviews the application with

applicant, and inspects farm, then writes areport and submits it to the certificationbody. The certification body reviews the re-port and, if the requirements are met, then acertificate is issued.

Challenges and the way forward

Growth of the sector in Jamaica has beenslow due to several challenges. These in-clude:

1. Organic farming being knowledge intensive.

Most producers enter the sector with amisconception of what it means to be an or-ganic producer. Some believe that it is pro-duction using organic fertilizers, whileothers believe that it is simply producingwithout the use of synthetic pesticides andfertilizers. The reality is that organic is knowledge in-

tensive, and requires planning and knowl-edge of good farming practices and recordkeeping. It is proactive /holistic and not re-active. Knowledge gaps are being addressedthrough training.Under the Food and Agriculture Organisa-

tion administered European CommissionGlobal Food Security Facility 12, demon-stration sites have been established and 26persons have been trained by InternationalOrganic Inspectors Association as crop in-spectors, and 15 as livestock inspectors.

RADA officers, islandwide, have alsobeen trained and twenty eight farmer train-ing workshops have been held.

2. Increased labour costsLabour requirements are dependent on the

management practices employed by eachfarmer. It is possible to have an organic op-eration which is mechanized. However,most farmers rely heavily on manual labour,and conversion will result in increasedlabour requirements for scouting, compostbuilding and weed management. The key toreducing costs is to integrate activities. It isrecommended that farmers scout for pestsand maintain soil barriers while weeding.

3. Reduction in yields during conversion

If the soils are degraded, there will be a de-cline in production during the conversionperiod. Therefore, support for farmers dur-ing the conversion period needs to be seri-ously considered.

4. Misconceptions:Organic cannot feed the world: Research

has shown that organic production systemsare as productive as conventional systems.The world is not short of food. However, thepoor have limited access to food. Organicrelies on local inputs, making it a valuabletool in developing rural economies.Organic produce are smaller: Once the

soil balance has been restored, organic pro-duction levels are not usually less than non-organic production levels. It is true that thereare differences in performance of varieties.Much work is required to develop varietiesthat are suitable for organic systems. Organic crops have more pests: The

avoidance of synthetic pesticides and in-creased diversity on the farm results in im-proved natural predator-prey interactions.Organic systems must use crop rotation,which breaks pest cycles and reduces pestincidence. Another basic rule in organic, is that farm-

ers work with nature instead of against na-ture and must have knowledge of conditionsthat pests like. The caterpillars that affectcallaloo love hot, dry conditions. Therefore,farmers on the southern plains have seriousproblems during the summer months. Or-ganic farmers in these areas should increasethe use of protective barriers during this pe-riod, or avoid growing this crop. Organic production is very valuable on so

many levels. If preservation of indigenousplants, health of the environment and thehealth of people are important to our nation,then it needs to be taken seriously, encour-aged and included at the Ministry level, aspart of the whole agricultural sector, and of-fered incentives that can be utilized to groworganic farms.Due to specialised requirements, incen-

tives differ. After a hurricane organicfarm-ers are usually offered conventional seedsand synthetic fertilizers, which are incom-patible with organic systems.

For further information JOAM may be contacted at 858-9342 or

joam@joamltd.org.

SSPPEECCIIAALL FFEEAATTUURREE

Organic Production and Food Security

ORGANIC FARMING:(l-r) Brian Wedderburn, president, Bluefields Organic Farmers Association; AaronWilliams, director of the U.S. Peace Corps; Patrick Marti, Peace Corps volunteerand Raymond Martin, chairman, Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement (JOAM)during a recent visit to the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C.JOAM was among several other organisations that staged a display at the festivalwhich seeks to promote culture and food from all other the world.

Farmers tending to the composite plot

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM OOCCTTOOBBEERRTT--SEPTEMBER 2011 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 99

•• 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

IInnccrreeaassee PPrroodduuccttiioonn wwiitthhEEccoo--FFrriieennddllyySSttrraatteeggiieess

By Marina YoungSenior Plant Health /

Food Safety Specialist, RADAyoungm@rada.gov.jm

Ginger rhizome rot is considered as one ofthe major limiting factor of ginger pro-

duction in Jamaica. Conditions caused by thepest complex.

The main pathogens associated with thisdisease are the fungi such as Fusarium spp,Rhizoctonia solani, and Pythium sp., bacterialpathogens and parasitic nematodes.

Rhizome rot had been found in all majorginger production areas in Jamaica. The disease is also spreads by infected seedpieces from the previous crop, although thesemay appear symptomless.

Prolonged periods of wetness and poor

drainage are highly favorable for rapid devel-opment of rhizome rot. Repeated cultivationof ginger on the same plots of land greatlycontributes to the buildup of diseases and ne-matodes. Symptoms of Ginger Rhizome Rot are oftendescribed by local farmers as ‘boil’.

Diseased rhizomes show a brown discol-oration, are normally shriveled in appearanceand eventually decay leaving the outer shellintact with only fibrous internal tissue re-maining.

In case of Fusarium infection youngplants develop leaf spot and leaf yellowingwhich result in plant wilt (‘quailing’) over theperiod of several weeks. In case of bacterialinfection plant wilt is more progressive and as-sociates with rapid yellowing of leaves andstem, plant collapse, soft rot of young rhi-zomes and presence of unpleasant rottingodor.

Sloping terrain provide ideal conditionsfor spread of diseases during the rains, whenwater moves along the slope and carries dis-ease spores (‘seeds’). . What farmers should know in order to re-duce the incidence of rhizome rot?

• The most important measure for pre-vention of disease is the use of healthy plant-ing material.

• Field should have good drainage orrazed beds to ensure that rhizomes are not ex-posed to prolonged wetness.

• Do not plant ginger in the same field ifrhizome rot was detected during the previouscrop.

• Know how to identify a healthy plants.They should be robust, have healthy roots, rhi-zomes are well filled, without shrinkage andspots. Rhizome ‘eyes’ should not be watery.

• The field must be inspected regularlyfor early detection and removal of plants withsymptoms of leaf spot and wilt (‘quailing’).

• Mark healthy, disease free plants in thefield when the crop is 6-8 months old and stillgreen. For the planting of next crop, select bestrhizomes, free from pest and disease from themarked plants. Do not rely only on visual se-lection of rhizomes after harvesting. Diseasecan present in seed pieces without any externalsymptoms.

•Handle planting material carefully to

avoid damage. Examine the stored rhizomesat monthly intervals and remove the rhizomesthat show signs of rotting. This will help tokeep the inoculum level low.

•It is advisable to plant smaller pieces ofrhizome.

•Pre-planting treatments of planting ma-terial for control of nematodes and diseaseswith hot water followed with fungicide dip arerecommended and farmers can get technicaladvice from the RADA extension officer. Itshould be noted that pre-planting treatmentswill not improve quality of panting materialbut rather preserve it for a short period of time.Therefore, treatment of badly diseased rhi-zomes is not effective.

• Foliar application of approved fungi-cides might be necessary to prevent spread of

diseases from plant to plant when conditionsare highly favorable for disease development.

• Jamaican ginger consumed locally aswell as exported to different external markets.Farmers should be aware about pesticideresidues and use only approved chemicals toensure food safety and integrity of Jamaicanginger. This information can be obtained fromthe extension officer or directly from the Ex-port Division, Ministry of Agriculture andFisheries.

• Soil solarization can be effective in re-ducing incidence of rhizome rot but costly.Treating only small parcels of land is consid-ered economical.

There is no single method of controllingrhizome rot and management of disease com-plex will require multifaceted approach withinvolvement of all stakeholders: famers, re-searchers and extension agencies.

Use of tissue culture method for the pro-duction of disease free planting material is oneof the ways to address existing challenges.Several agencies in Jamaica are in the processof building laboratory capacity to producehealthy planting material.

This takes time and require significant fi-nancial and human resources. Until tissue cul-ture plants can become available, farmers willhave to manage rhizome rot using best prac-tices which involve understanding of this com-plex disease, proper site selection, croprotation, selection of healthy planting material,pre-planting treatments for control of nema-todes and suppression of diseases, proper cropnutrition and field sanitation and early re-moval of infected plants from the field to pre-vent spread of diseases.

GINGER RHIZOME ROT: A major setback for ginger production

Fig. 1: Symptoms of Ginger Rhizome Rot: shriveled in appearance ginger rhizome(left); decaying rhizome (middle) and internal discoloration of rhizome (right)

Figure 2: Healthy ginger plant (left);Symptoms of leaf spot on ginger plantsaffected with Ginger Rhizome Rot:(right)

1100 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • OOCCTTOOBBEERRTT--SEPTEMBER 2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 11

Fertilizer PricesTrend Higher

By John Pocock, Corn and Soybean DigestNo one can predict the future, but theeconomic fundamentals are point-ing towards a significant bump up

in variable input costs for 2012, particularlyfor fertilizer, says Bruce Erickson, agro-nomic education manager, American Soci-ety of Agronomy.

“Fertilizer is by far the highest variable-input cost that corn growers have, and it’sbeen on a rising trend in price over the lastyear or so,” he says. “Fertilizer retailers aresaying that compared to last fall, prices areup anywhere from 18-27% for the threemajor products (anhydrous ammonia, di-ammonium phosphate [DAP] and potash).

So, it’s very likely that farmers will paymore for fertilizer in 2012, barring any morefinancial shocks to the system.”

Still, unexpected fertilizer price dropshave occurred before, most recently in2009, says Erickson. “The last world finan-cial crisis in September 2008, when we sawa monumental fall in the Dow, didn’t bot-tom out until March 2009,” he says. “Thattriggered a fertilizer price drop in the springof 2009. So, it can happen, but it takes awhile for a fertilizer price-drop to shakethrough the system.”

Much of the costto produce and transportfertilizer is energy, and energy priceshaven’t been going down, emphasizes Er-ickson. “Typically, the industry uses naturalgas to extract nitrogen (N),” he says, “andphosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizersare mining-dependent, which is also heav-ily energy-dependent.”

Ghana likelyto go solo in IEPA

The Ghana government is likely to tellECOWAS of its plans to go solo on the

signing of the Interim Economic PartnershipAgreement (IEPA) when Trade Ministers inthe sub-region meet in the country later thismonth.

The Trade and Industries Minster, HannahTetteh, told the media on Tuesday that thecountry would have preferred to join othermember-countries within ECOWAS to signthe IEPA as a body; however, negotiationson the trade agreement with the EuropeanUnion has stalled - pushing government toconsider its options. “For the past three yearssince I have been in this position as Minister,we haven’t really gone far with theECOWAS EPA. The issues that we were dis-cussing at the time I became Trade Ministerare the same issues we are still discussingtoday within the framework of ECOWAS.

FAO Food PriceIndex down in OctoberThe FAO Food price index dropped to an

11-month low in October, declining 4percent, or nine points, to 216 points fromSeptember. Nonetheless prices still remaingenerally higher than last year and veryvolatile, FAO said.

The drop was triggered by sharp declinesin international prices of cereals, oils, sugarand dairy products. Meat prices declined theleast. However FAO's November Index pub-lished today showed that prices last monthwere still some 5 percent above the corre-sponding period last year.

BY JACQUELINE CHARLESjcharles@MiamiHerald.com

HIGHGATE, Jamaica:

Seraldo Henry swings open the wooden-frame door of the sprawling plastic-cov-

ered structure, surveys his rows of gourmetbell peppers for signs of a destructive bac-teria, and then breaths a sigh of relief.A high school graduate who once

dreamed of becoming an electrical engi-neer, Henry, 26, never envisioned himselfas a farmer. Then he discovered the green-house technology that would change his fu-ture and help forge an agriculturalrenaissance in a nation that imports morethan half its food.“We are making money. And it’s good to

know you are contributing to the economyof the country,” Henry said as he checkedhis sweet pepper plants in the family’shomemade 5,000-square-foot greenhousefor Bacterial Wilt, which already wiped outone harvest.From the interior highlands to low lying

communities, vegetable-growing green-houses are transforming this island paradisewhile revolutionizing farming in communi-ties increasingly vulnerable to Mother Na-ture’s unpredictability.In less than four years, Jamaica has

evolved from a nation struggling to cut backits dependence on imported tomatoes andbell peppers to one where crops grown in-side sterilized covered structures satisfylocal consumption. The project has been sosuccessful that the government is now seek-ing to export food grown inside the green-houses.“It really is a shift in terms of the image

and profile of agriculture,” said AlfredDunkley, agriculture marketing extensionofficer for St. Mary, a banana-growingparish in northeastern Jamaica that isquickly emerging as a vegetable market,thanks to more than two dozen green-houses.First introduced to Jamaican farmers by

the U.S. government in 2005, the technol-ogy was initially met with reluctance byfarmers who were unwilling to change theirtraditional farming methods even as the Ja-maican government pushed to reduce itsfood import bill and increase access to lo-cally grown food.Canada later offered $5 million to expand

the greenhouse program with more localgovernment involvement. Today, 90 percentof the government’s agriculture specialistshave been trained in the technology; green-house space has nearly doubled; and onceskeptical farmers are now among thebiggest advocates.“Farmers are now believing and embrac-

ing the technology,” said Opal Whyte,greenhouse project manager in Jamaica’sRural Agricultural Development Authority.Research is currently taking place with

cantaloupes and Jamaica’s highly potent,popular ginger. “The results are encourag-ing,”Whyte said about a two-year-old studywhere researchers have been growing gin-ger offshoots or “slips” in greenhouses toimprove ginger production and quality.“When the comparison is made in terms of

the potency of the ginger from the green-house, the results are comparable. It’s justas good.” She added, “The greenhouse pro-vides the quality standards that our endusers want and our farmers can satisfy ourlocal market once they are energized and or-ganized.’’Another proof of the greenhouse success:

last year’s imports statistics. In a recentmeeting with South Florida’s burgeoningJamaican-American community, formerAgriculture Minister Christopher Tufton,who oversaw the program before takingover the ministry of investment and com-merce this summer, said that for the firsttime in years, Jamaica, which imports morethan 60 percent of its food, didn’t have toimport colored, or “gourmet,” bell peppers.But there are challenges. The $17,500

start-up costs to install a 3,000-square-footgreenhouse is more than many can afford ina country still recuperating from an eco-nomic downturn.And even with the government’s policy of

protecting local production by limiting im-ports, and requiring waivers from im-porters, greenhouse growers findthemselves competing for a tiny marketshare. This is especially true when tradi-tional farms have a successful harvest; localconsumers don’t differentiate between atomato grown in a greenhouse and one on aregular farm.Recognizing the challenges, Whyte said

the country is ready to export its success.“We cannot eat all of the food we producein Jamaica,’’ she said. “Our next step is tocreate external markets.”This means finding a way to satisfy U.S.

government standards with fumigating, butalso competing with large commercialgreenhouse farmers in Mexico, Costa Ricaand even the United States. The cost of pro-duction in those nations is far less than inJamaica, where high electricity costs — five

times that of the U.S.— force farmers torely on cooling fans as protection againstfungus and natural sunlight for ripening.“When I speak to potential investors, I tell

them to ‘come, but come with your ownmarket,’ ” Whyte said. “Their market can-not be the same local market that our farm-ers are competing with.”Ryan Chung, 27, agrees. A University of

Southern California graduate with a degreein corporate finance, Chung is chief farmer,marketer and all-around troubleshooter forhis hydroponic tomato greenhouse businessin Little Bay, a community in nearby PortMaria, the parish’s capital.Unlike Henry’s “low-cost” greenhouse of

wooden beams and river water irrigationsystem, Chung’s $110,000 investment onhis family’s 150-acre plot include twosnazzy high tech structures with steelbeams, automatic timers for drip irrigationand perlite, a sterile mineral material thathelps reduce disease.But even with his modernized green-

houses, imported seeds from Holland andspecialized variety of tomatoes — his berrytomato crop fetches three to five times theprice of regular tomatoes – Chung concedesit’s a tough venture.“When I am producing, it looks very

pretty. But from a business standpoint, it’s awhole different ball game,” said Chung,who visits greenhouses in Cuba, the Do-minican Republic and Europe in search ofdesigns and seeds, and has gathered an im-pressive network of high-end supermarketsand hotels as customers.“It’s a high risk business. It is very hard

to produce. Temperature is a big problem,pests and disease are also a big problem; soare sales,’’ he said. “A lot of farmers get intothis business believing you can just growtomatoes and they will sell. You need a lotof contacts, networking.”

http://www.miamiherald.com

Greenhouses in Jamaica HelpingForge an Agricultural Renaissance

Jervis Rowe -greenhouseoperator and founding president

of Jamaica GreenhouseGrowers Association.

INTERNATIONALNEWS

Look out for--

FFaarrmm LLiiffeeFFoouunnddaattiioonn

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1144 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

JAMAICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMAL‘Committed to Heal, Rescue and Protect’TThhee JJSSPPCCAA mmaannddaatteess ttoo pprroommoottee kkiinnddnneessss ttoo aanniimmaallss,, pprreevveenntt aabbuussee aanndd rreedduuccee ffeeaarr ,, ppaaiinn aanndd ssuuffffeerriinngg..

CCoonnttaaccttss:: 1100 WWiinncchheesstteerr RRooaadd,, KKiinnggssttoonn 1100

TTeell :: ((887766)) 992299--00332200 :: FFaaxx:: ((887766)) 775544--44559944EEmmaaii ll :: jjssppccaa@@yyaahhoooo ..ccoomm;; jjssppccaa@@kkaassnneett ..ccoomm

CCaayymmaannaass PPaarrkk ((MMeeaaddooww VVaall ee EEnnttrraannccee )) PPoorr ttmmoorree,, SStt .. CCaatthheerriinneeTTeell :: 999988--44999977 // 770044--44227788((OOppeenn wweeeekk-- eennddss OOnnllyy))

BBrraannddoonn HHii ll ll ,, 1144 CCookkee AAvveennuuee ,, BBrraannddoonn HHiill ll ,,

MMoonntteeggoo BBaayy,, SStt JJaammeess

TTeell :: 779977--22997733--44

TThhee JJSSPPCCAA--CCoommmmiitttteedd ttoo HHeeaall,, RReessccuuee aanndd PPrrootteecctt

-wwwwww..jjssppccaa.. iinnffoo

How MuchWater Does MyDog Need ToDrink A Day?This varies from dog to dog and also

from activity to activity. Just like us,dogs needs more water during hot

days or when they’ve engaged in vigorousactivities.Another consideration is their diet. Dogs

whose diet consists mainly on dry food(kibbles) are likely to drink more thanthose who are on canned or wet food feed.

For healthy dogs under 20 lbs, their dailywater requirement is 1 cup (8oz) per fivepounds of its body weight.Example One. An 8lb adult Shih Tzu

whose daily activities consist of one 20-minute slow walk and some light indooractivities, he would need approximately

1½ cup (12oz) of water per day to main-tain a proper level of body fluids.The source of water doesn’t have to

come strictly in liquid (H2O) form. If thedog gets an afternoon snack—foods thatare rich in water content (i.e. apple), thiswould also contribute part of his water in-take for that day.Keep in mind, the above equation is not

feasible for dogs who weigh over 20 lbs.To get the exact daily water amount theyneed it would have to be calculated base onthe dog’s daily calories necessity. In for-mula, ALL healthy dogs’ daily water re-quirement in milliliters is approximatelyequal to their daily energy requirements incalories.Example Two. A dog who weighs 65 lbs

would require approximately 1450 milli-liters (6.1 cups/49 oz) of water daily in-stead of 13 cups or 104 oz base on theformal equation.Just remember this, when CLEAN water

is accessible dogs will normally drinkenough to maintain the proper balance oftheir body fluids.

PPPP EEEE TTTT CCCC OOOO RRRR NNNN EEEE RRRR

PESTICIDE GUIDEYou must Read the Labels!

The Glenwood Spring Branch of theJamaica Agricultural Society (JAS)staged its first Mini Dasheen Festi-

val on Monday (October, 17) at the SunburyAll-Age School, in Clarendon.Garth Tomlin, president of the GlenwoodSpring JAS Branch said he wanted to showthe community that the dasheen was a ver-satile tuber that could be used in the prepa-ration of various dishes.Tomlin said it was a huge surprise as pa-

trons turned out in their numbers to view theforty dishes that were made from thedasheen. “They were in awe as they filedpast the dasheen bun, fritter, pone, tie-a-leaf,pudding, salad and bulla to name a few. The“Dasheen smoothie” had everyone askingfor more; it was a crowd pleaser,” noted.An elated Samuel Owen, principal of theSunbury All-Age School in his endorsementsaid he was certain that next year the festi-val will be bigger “because satisfied patronsmake the best promoters.”The day’s event was also endorsed by theSpalding Branch of the National Peoples’Co-operative Bank, Christiana PotatoGrowers Association, and Knox Commu-nity College. The JAS Branch was assisted with thepreparation of the forty “dasheen dishes” byMarcia Murray, JAS Parish Manager andKamala Bernard, Social Services /Home

Economics Officer, RADA, Clarendon.Children and adults alike raced to pur-chase the dishes at the end of the festival. Everyone danced and rocked to the “beat”provided by Shawn Dyce/AKA Bubo, whileyoung children found great pleasure in theBounce-a –Bout. Drinks, Manish water,barbecue chicken, brown stew goat’s meatand the famous chicken foot soup went likepiping hot breadOverall, the Glenwood Spring JASBranch Mr. Garth Tomlin, President, Glen-wood Spring JAS Branch, (Cell) 284-0711Mrs.

Submitted by Marcia Murray, Parish Manager, JAS Clarendon

charmed1436@yahoo.com 843-5106; 986-2068

Glenwood Spring JAS Stages Dasheen Festival

FFAARRMM//RRUU��LL RREEPPOORRTT

Processed dasheen on display

Water is foundthroughout thedog’s body, bothinside (intracellu-lar) and outside(extracellular)

the cells. It involves

in almost all theprocesses thattake place inthe body.

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