the agriculturalist - sept 2012 issue

By Patrick MaitlandEditor - The Agriculturalist

The former chief executive officer of theRural Agricultural Development Au-

thority (RADA) Alexander Powell hasfiled a lawsuit against the Ministry of Agri-culture and RADA claiming some $36 Min damages for wrongful dismissal in April.Chairman of the Board of RADA, Den-

zil Williams RADA accused Powell of notsupplying original copies of his educa-tional certificates, failure to supply hisbirth certificate, improper use of theAgency credit card and the firing of theformer financial director Kareena Rambali.Powell told The Agriculturalist that he

filed the lawsuit in an effort to seek legalredress following what he described as hisunfair dismissal and damage to his reputa-tions by the board of RADA. He however refused to comment further

as “the issues are now before the Court,”but noted that all the charges against himare fabricated and lies. Powell was fired on April 26 after four

years in the post following what has beendescribed as”worrying findings of an auditat the agency.” The audit claimed amongother matters that there was no documen-tation of Powell’s credentials on file at theRADA. In addition, the audit found that Powell

misused the Government’s credit cardwhich was issued to him.

It is also reported that Powell circum-vented the Agriculture Ministry’s legal of-ficer and hired private lawyers in a matterinvolving the finance director who hadchallenged her dismissal.Chairman of the Board of RADA, Den-

zil Williams challenged Powell to provideproof of his academic qualifications. He said the Board was prepared to head

to court to lock horns with Powell who hedeclared did not have a case. Williams said the Board carried out the

necessary due diligence and sought legal

advice before removing Powell as the headof RADA.In commenting on the lawsuit Agricul-

ture Minister, Roger Clarke, said Ministryis prepared to contest the suit. Meanwhile, the Board of RADA is pro-

ceeding with plans to appoint a new CEO.Persons who applied for the post which

was advertised a few months ago havebeen short-listed and the individual se-lected will be announced shortly.

365-2054

VOL. 23 NO. 10 • SEPTEMBER 2012 FREE WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

World FoodPrices Up by 10% By Doug Palmer WASHINGTON: (Reuters)

World food prices jumped 10 per-cent in July as drought parched

crop lands in the United States and East-ern Europe, the World Bank said in astatement urging governments to shoreup programs that protect their most vul-nerable populations.From June to July, corn and wheat

prices rose by 25 percent each, soybeanprices by 17 percent, and only rice priceswent down, by 4 percent, the WorldBank said on Thursday. Overall, the World Bank's Food Price

Index, which tracks the price of interna-tionally traded food commodities, was 6percent higher than in July of last year,and 1 percent over the previous peak ofFebruary 2011.

Continued from page 3

Powell Sues RADA for $36 M

ALEXANDER POWELL Former CEO, RADA

Has filed a lawsuit againstthe MOA/RADA claiming

$36 M in damages.

2 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

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EDITORIAL PAGE

The declining trend in local food pro-duction and the spiraling food imports

have been a major concern for us as Ja-maica’s food security and farmers are atrisk.

Jamaica’s food import expenditurerose by over US$100 million to reachUS$930 million at the end of 2011, whileagricultural export stood at about US$100million.

Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke re-cently described the situation as ‘unsus-tainable’ and pledged to commit thegovernment to “redoubling its efforts to in-crease production and productivity, whileat the time promoting improved linkagesbetween farmers, agro-processors and ho-tels.”

We are encouraged by MinisterClarke’s comments, however we are ex-pecting more tangible and immediate solu-tions to grow local food productions andstop cheap imports.

Minister Clarke should immediatelyreview the ministry’s method of grantingapproval for the importation of agriculturalitems including chicken meat, eggs, fish,Irish potatoes and red peas.

The general policy dedicates that theseitems should be imported to meet the short-fall in local production. However, in sev-eral cases some of those produce areimported without due regard for the levelof local production.

It is an open secret, depending on whois the Minister of Agriculture or politicalparty in power, only certain people aregranted permits to import these agriculturalfoods which attract very high mark-up andprofit.

Minister Clarke should therefore con-sider a more open and transparent methodof granting import permits and encouragethe farmers’ organizations including the Ja-maica Livestock Association (JLA) and Ja-maica Agricultural Society (JAS) toparticipate in these lucrative business op-portunities.

The Ministry of Agriculture shouldhold public hearings and consultations withthe farmers and other stakeholders beforeconsidering the importation of any fooditems. The Ministry would adopt its ownstrategy of consultations as in the case ofcane and fish farmers.

The current tax package of applyingGCT on eggs, selected agro chemicals and

the reclaiming of taxes on other input sup-plies are pushing up the cost of productionthus rendering Jamaica farm produce lesscompetitive.

The government should thereforeplace more duty on imported foods so thatour farmers benefit instead of ‘fatteningfarmers from abroad.’

The government should also focus ongreenhouse farming or any other opera-tions to foster medium to large-scale farm-ing. Our small-scale and subsistencefarmers cannot produce to meet domesticand export demand at competitive prices.

Now is not the time to produce sam-ples, we need consistently high volume andquality produce.

While it is important for us to pickwinners in agriculture, the Governmentmust commit vast resources in order toachieve sustainable food production.

As in the case of the tourism sector,where Government allocated millions toconstruct hotels and later divest them toprivate owners, but continues to spend mil-lions on advertising and staffing overseasto promote Jamaica’s tourism products.

However, the Government’s support isnot the “cure-all” solution to grow agricul-ture. The management and leadership inagriculture must do their jobs. Agricultureis not a welfare industry, we are in thisbusiness to feed people and make moneyin the process.

byPATRICK MAITLAND

Publisher -The Agriculturalist [email protected]

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

Focal Point

We Need Real and Sustainable Solutions!

World Food Prices Up by 10%

Continued from page 1U.S. soybean futures hit a record high of$17.78 per bushel in trading on Thursday,while corn futures remained near the recordof $8.49 set earlier this month.A severe drought in the United States has

sharply cut corn and soybean yields thisyear, while a dry summer in Russia, Ukraineand Kazakhstan has hurt wheat output.The World Bank said its experts do not

foresee a repeat of 2008, when a food pricespike triggered riots in some countries. Meanwhile, the Portia Simpson Miller

Cabinet has established a committee to for-mulate Jamaica's response to the possibilityof a significant increase in food prices.

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Dear Editor:

Ijust had time to read The Agriculturalist(August Issue 2012) and was taken abackby an error in a quotation from the Hon.Minister of Agriculture. Your article on Page 4, under the caption

"Agriculture Ministry Pushing for SugarExpansion" reports the Minister as saying"farmers need to lift the tonnes per acreyield from the low of 50 and 54 tonnes." While I was not at the function, I want to

suggest that the Minister wanted the yieldper hectare (not per acre) to move up fromthe fifties. You see, 50 t/ac (125 t/ha) is ex-

cellent cane yield by any stretch of theimagination, and is a good standard pro-ducers should aim to reach.You may want to correct the error in the

next issue! Too many persons are still stuckin the imperial system instead of movingover to metric, the now world standard. The Agriculturalist should also strive to

use metric units in all its publications.-Edmond Lewis

<[email protected]>

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

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An Error in Minister Clarke’s Story!


NEWS

Cooperative Movement: (l-r) Winston Ritchie ofHanover Bee Farmers Co-op; veteran educatorSimon Clarke; GeneralManager, National Unionof Co-oprative SocietyLimited (NUCS), AlbertSmith inspect farm pro-duce on display at NUCS37th Annual General Meeting held recently inKingston recently.

Visiting clubitesfrom the Barbados4-H Clubs gettinghelpful info at theKnox College dis-play in the Youth inAgriculture Village.

Photo: 4-H Clubs/Philip

Hamilton

Cabinet has approved the im-position of a levy of US$1

on each pound of conch exportedduring the 2011 conch season.The Conch (Export Levy) Act,

which was passed in 2009, isused in part to offset the cost of

implementing programmes formonitoring, control, surveillanceand enforcement in relation to Ja-maica’s limited conch resources.These programmes are ex-

pected to reduce illegal, unre-ported and unregulated fishing.

Levy of US$1 on each pound of conch exported

INCREASED RED PEAS PRODUCTION:State Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Ian Hayles (centre)is presented with a bag of locally grown red peas by President ofthe Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Norman Grant (right)during the launch of the JAS’ National Red Peas Planting Proj-ect recently at the JAS headquarters in Kingston. Sharing themoment is National Farm Queen, Amelia Leveridge. Under theinitiative, some 150 hectares of red peas will be planted over a12-month period, to increase productivity by 30 per cent over thefirst year of the project, and grow steadily in ensuing years.

An Aquaculture DevelopmentPlan is to be implemented

this year, with assistance from theFood and Agriculture Organisation(FAO).Agriculture and Fisheries Minis-

ter, Hon. Roger Clarke, says some$22 million will be allocated fromthe Fisheries Management Devel-opment Fund (FMDF), to carry outthe exercise.The Minister was addressing an

African, Caribbean and Pacific(ACP) Fish II Programme valida-tion workshop, organised by theMinistry and the Belize-based

ACP Regional Co-ordinating Unit,at the Farmers’ Training Centre,Twickenham Park, St. Catherine,on October 3.Clarke also informed that an ad-

ditional $17 million has also beenearmarked to undertake rehabilita-tion of the hatchery/nursery facil-ity at the aquaculture branch of theCentre, to provide quality seedstock for the industry.The Minister said the aquacul-

ture development plan is aimed atcontributing to Jamaica’s goals ofensuring food security; employ-ment creation; import substitution;and foreign exchange savings.

The Food and Agriculture Or-ganization (FAO) is moving

to assist local pig farmers in gen-erating bio-energy from their op-erations, which could boost theirincome and benefit the renewableenergy sector.FAO Sub-Regional Livestock

Development Officer for theCaribbean, Dr. Cedric Lazarus,said the organisation is makingarrangements to facilitate a visitto Jamaica by German bio-energyexpert Professor Jens Born in

early 2013, for dialogue with of-ficials in the Ministry, and stake-holders in the pig sub-sector.Dr. Lazarus, who was address-

ing the Jamaica Pig Farmers As-sociation's (JPFA) recent AnnualGeneral Meeting at the in Man-deville, said the move will go afar way in reducing the farmers’operational overheads, while gen-erating additional incomethrough sale of energy to the na-tional power grid, among otherpossible benefits.

Aquaculture DevelopmentPlan to be Implemented

German Bio-Energy Expert toLend Support to Pig Industry


NEWS

Wageningen, The Netherlands:

The Technical Centre forAgricultural and Rural

Cooperation (CTA), in con-junction with UNECA andother international organisa-tions and the private sectoris organising an interna-tional conference on valuechains, to take place, 6-9November 2012 in AddisAbaba, Ethiopia. Dubbed ‘making the con-

nection: value chains fortransforming smallholderagriculture’, the conferencewill bring together morethan 400 participants, in-cluding private sector, gov-ernment officials,development partners, civilsociety, farmer organiza-tions and academics, toshare experiences on valuechain development and dis-cuss how best smallholderfarmers can be incorporatedinto value chains in order topromote agricultural andrural development.The conference will focus

on strengthening agricul-tural value chains that en-able smallholders tobecome more actively en-gaged in market-led agricul-ture: transforming the roleof the smallholder into thatof an entrepreneur. The

meeting aims to identify theconditions necessary to cre-ate a broader and more solidknowledge base for the pro-motion of sustainable valuechains, including trainingand information-sharingneeds. It also seeks to pro-vide an opportunity to ex-change current ideas,knowledge, new approachesand best practices in orderto both strengthen the effi-ciency and profitability ofexisting commercial valuechains and assist thoseworking to promote valuechain development in orderto strengthen economicgrowth in smallholder com-munities. Participants willalso discuss issues related totrends impacting on valuechain development, innova-tion, sustainability and scal-ing up, and capacitybuilding.The Technical Centre for

Agricultural and Rural Coop-eration (CTA) is a joint inter-national institution of theAfrican, Caribbean and Pa-cific (ACP) Group of Statesand the European Union(EU). Its mission is to advance

food and nutritional security,increase prosperity and en-courage sound natural re-source management in ACPcountries.

Transforming SmallholderAgriculture in Developing

Countries

Alavanyo-Nkonya, Ghana:Jamaican Wesley Ap-pleton, 58 of Ghana,Africa, has been ar-

rested for cultivating 400acres of marijuana.The police also retrieved

about five tonnes ofcannabis which had beenharvested and stored infertiliser bags and plasticdrums in nearby cottage.Ten other persons in-

cluding three women werealso arrested by membersof the Criminal Investiga-tions Department of theGhana Police Service, fol-lowing a raid in the Ala-vanyo-Nkonya District inthe Volta Region.At a press briefing fol-

lowing the bust, the Direc-tor-General of the policeunit said the farm was the

largest in the history of thecountry.He said earlier in 2010

the headquarters gatheredintelligence to the effectthat a Jamaican had ac-quired a large portion ofland in the area and wascultivating cannabis onlarge scale for export.The Police chief said

based on this informationthe police mounted sur-veillance on him, andlearned that the Jamaican,had acquired about 400acres of land and had em-ployed some youth, in-cluding schoolchildren tocultivate cannabis. Undercover agents were

deployed in the area forsome months and thoseagents were able to locatethe farm.

Jamaican arrested in Ghana for

cultivating ganja Agriculture MinisterRoger Clarke hasresponded to re-

ports that farmers in Flaga-man, St. Elizabeth arerefusing to plant certaincrops due to the continuedpresence of the beat armyworm.Some of the crops being

affected are onion and es-callion.Clarke says the pest is

still present but not widescale. He said a meeting isbeing arranged with farm-

ers in the area to discussways to further contain thepest.

In July the AgricultureMinistry reported that ithad contained the spread ofthe Beat Army Wormwhich wreaked havoc onthe agricultural sector in St.Elizabeth. It said there had been a

significant decline in thelevel of infestation.A special team was set up

to tackle the pest whichravaged several acres ofcrops including pepper,onion and escallion.

St Elizabeth farmers not plantingsome crops due to Beat Army worm

ROGER CLARKEMINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

Veteran agriculturalistHarold Spaulding was

recently appointed actingChief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Rural Agricul-tural Development Authority(RADA) as the authoritycontinues its search for a newCEO. The former CEO, Alexan-

der Powell was fired on April26 after four years in the postfollowing what has been de-scribed as”worrying findingsof an audit at the agency.”


ALL THAT'S GOLDEN:The smiles are about thenew Jablum Gold BlueMountain Coffee- all that'sgolden. In photo (l-r) Minis-ter of Agriculture RogerClarke; director of MavisBank Coffee Company Jef-frey Hall and CEO of thecompany, Norman Grant ata press launch recently forthe Jablum’s roasted andgrounded coffee beans.

Productivity levels among theCaribbean's farmers are ex-

pected to be significantly boostedwith the implementation of a $20million Canadian International De-velopment Agency (CIDA)-fundedproject, dubbed the: ‘Promotion ofRegional Opportunities for Pro-duce through Enterprises andLinkages' (PROPEL).The five-year project aims to po-

sition some 28,000 small farmersin over eight Caribbean nations,including Jamaica, to provide anadequate and consistent supply ofagricultural products to large pur-chasers, such as hotels and airlineswithin the region, by enhancingtheir capacity.

Benefits which are expected toaccrue to beneficiary stakeholdersinclude: the building of a more in-tegrated regional economy; foster-ing economic growth; andincreased incomes to farmers.Implementation of PROPEL is

being spearheaded by the non-gov-ernment organisation, CanadianHunger Foundation (CHF), whichhas provided a contribution of $1million. The CHF, which has been oper-

ating in the Caribbean for over 18years, has successfully demon-strated its ability to develop the ca-pacity of producer groups andinstitutions through a range ofprojects.

Farmers to Benefit fromCAN$20 M Project by CIDA

EUIn a major declaration adoptedat their 2012 Congress, Euro-pean farm leaders called on

EU heads of state, governments,the EU Commission and Parlia-ment to ensure that there is astrong, market orientated Com-mon Agricultural Policy (CAP),and a good budget behind it. This is more important than

ever in a world of increasing un-certainty, market volatility andrising global food demand.In a world of increasing uncer-

tainty and volatility on worldmarkets, the need for Europe tohave a strong agricultural sectoris more important than ever. EU farmers, men and women,

and their cooperatives have thepotential not only provide foodsecurity and stable prices to the500 million consumers but alsocontribute to economic growthand employment, help combatclimate change and continue toprovide a wide range of ruralservices.For this to happen farmers need

to have a more profitable andsounder economic situation. Theyneed to have greater stability sothat they can make long-termplans and invest. And they need access to new

techniques and new markets sothat they can better cope with cli-mate change and make the mostof Europe’s production capacity.A strong CAP, backed by a strongbudget, must set us on this path.The future CAP should:• assist farmers to obtain their

fair and rightful share of the foodvalue chain in return for their on-farm value added by increasing

transparency, banning unfaircommercial practices and en-couraging producer organisa-tions, in particular cooperatives;• put new emphasis on achiev-

ing green growth on farmsthrough solutions which benefitboth farmers’ productive capac-ity, productivity and efficiency aswell as the environment and cli-mate change;• develop research and innova-

tion and ensure a more joined-upapproach between farmers, advi-sors and researchers;• develop the new opportunities

offered by the bio-based industryand tackle the current bottlenecksin the supply value chain;• ensure a balanced and stable

biofuels policy which takes intoaccount the benefits not only forclimate change but also in reduc-ing EU dependence on proteinfeed imports as well as energyimports;• provide better market and risk

management and more market in-telligence and coherence to helpfarmers cope with increasingvolatility and crises on worldmarkets;• encourage new business ini-

tiatives in rural areas and ensurethat women play a more inte-grated role in business develop-ment;• develop cooperative enter-

prise initiatives to improve farm-ers’ returns in the face of moreinternational competition;• provide a stable policy frame-

work so that farmers, includingyoung farmers, can make long-term plans and investments – noU-turns.

.TheCropSite News Desk

EU Farm Leaders Call for Strong, Market Orientated Farm Policy

By Beverly BaylisSt. Ann won unequivo-cally at the 2012 Den-bigh Agricultural &Industrial Show, captur-ing the coveted RudolphBurke Trophy for- thebest overall pavilion. The parish also won

nine sectional awards in-cluding ‘initiative andresourcefulness,’ ‘mar-keting potential’ ‘youthinvolvement,’ and ‘envi-ronmental sustainability.’ Under the theme,

“Evolutionary Growth+Environmental Man-agement = SustainableDevelopment for theAgricultural & Tourism

Sector,” the displayhighlighted climatechange and how farmersand other stakeholderscan work together to mit-igate the effects of thatchange. RADA’s St Ann parish

manager Donald Robin-

son said we was verypleased with the per-formance of the parishand praised the staff ofRADA as well as thesponsors for their com-mitment and support forover the years.

St. Ann was on top at Denbigh

A model green house on display at Denbigh

American SugarRefining, Inc. Acquires Belize

Industries

American Sugar Re-fining, Inc., the

world's largest sugar re-fining company, be-came the majorityshareholder of BelizeSugar Industries, Ltd.,the chief supplier ofFair Trade-certifiedsugar globally.American Sugar ac-

quired a majority ofBSI, while the com-pany's previous share-holders, including BSIEmployee HoldingsLimited, continue tohold the remainingshares.


Noranda Jamaica Bauxite PartnersDiscovery Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica WI

Phone: (876) [email protected]

www.norandabauxite.com


DENBIGH SHOW HIGHLIGHT PHOTOS

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller presents Oliver Thompson Sales and Marketing Manager, Hi-Pro Division, Jamaica Broilers Group with the champion exhibitor trophy, while Agriculture Minis-ter Roger Clarke (c) looks on.

JAMAICA HOPE: (l-r) Opposition leader Andrew Holness withJAS president Norman Grant and livestock specialist Janice Hol-ness pet a Jamaica Hope heifer at Denbigh.

Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary DonovanStanberry (l)inspects vacuumpacked breadfruitat the College of Agriculture, Science booth withlecture SeymourWebster whileanother memberof the college stafflooks on.FAO Rep in Jamaica Jerome Thomas presents Damoy Matthews

at the YIA Prize Giving Ceremony at Denbigh 2012-Philip Hamilton Photo:

Sydney Pagon Agricultural HighSchool’s instructor Frank Johnson(1st l) along with his students.


DENBIGH SHOW HIGHLIGHT PHOTOS

COMMUNICATIONS: Mary A. Nichols, acting-president of the College of Agriculture,Science and Education (CASE) (r) presents a copy of the col-lege’s newsletter to past student and St. Lucia’s Minister of Agri-culture, Food production, Fisheries and Rural DevelopmentMoses Baptiste, while public relations co-ordinator Sonia Simmslooks on.

Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica Broilers, Christopher Levy guides his daugh-ter as she pets a Jamaica Red Poll cow, while honour student Kimberly Maitland(3rd r) looks on

DENBIGH CHAMPIONS:Champion farmer Leslie Murray; Farm Queen 2012 Amelia Leveridge andYoung Champion Nicholas Powell pose with their trophies at the recentDenbigh Agricultural Show.

FERTILIZER FOR THE FARM QUEENS: Hedda Rose-Pitter Salesmanager of Newport Fersan (Jamaica) Limited (far right) presents sam-ples of the company’s fertilizer to national farm queen winners (l-r) sec-ond place Miss St Thomas Sandrene Bryan; Amelia Leveridge NationalFarm Queen 2012 and Sandrene Bryan third place Miss St Mary.

Doubt is being expressedthat the local produc-

tion of corn will help Ja-maica counter the effects ofthe drastic rise in the cost ofthe commodity.The price of corn has in-

creased by more than 50 per-

cent in the past six monthsdue mainly to the drought inthe US.The Government has been

pushing the production ofcorn to prevent a massiverise in food prices locally.Chief Executive Officer of

Jamaica Broilers, Christo-pher Levy, says the effectswill not be significant.He says they are cultivat-

ing 100 acres of corn but itwill not be enough in theshort term to mitigate thecost.

Local production of corn will not reduce cost in short term


RESEARCHERS NEWS

PW Reporters, www.fwi.co.ukAproject to develop novel insect-derived feed protein that couldhelp replace expensive soya

bean meal and fishmeal in poultry andpig diets has been announced by ABN'sparent company, AB Agri.The project involves entomologists,

biochemists and nutritionists, combiningthe expertise within ABN with that ofscientists at the Food and EnvironmentResearch Agency (Fera). Insect larvaewill be grown on organic waste materi-als, then processed for use in animalfeeds and initially evaluated in poultry."With global protein supply currently

struggling to keep up with demand, andprotein prices sky-high this year as a re-sult, there's a real need to develop new,sustainable alternatives," explained ABNtechnical director Angela Booth. "Thisproject is an exciting opportunity to see ifthe highly-digestible protein in insect lar-vae could help meet that need.

"As a bonus, the organic waste sub-strate is reduced in mass by about 50%,and can be used as a valuable fertiliser."The aim is to have a viable pilot-scale

production system up and running by theend of the three-year project, which isjointly funded by AB Agri and the Tech-nology Strategy Board.In addition to overcoming the technical

production challenges, a strong focuswill be placed on evaluating the feed'snutritional value and its suitability for useas an animal feed, especially in relationto consumer acceptability.

Research looks at insectprotein for poultry feed

Scotts Miracle-Gro Will Pay $12.5 M in Penalties for Violations

of Federal Pesticide LawsThe Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, a pro-

ducer of pesticides for commercial andconsumer lawn and garden uses, was sen-tenced today in federal district court inColumbus, Ohio, to pay a $4 million fineand perform community service for elevencriminal violations of the Federal Insecti-cide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act(FIFRA), which governs the manufacture,distribution, and sale of pesticides. Scotts pleaded guilty in February 2012 to

illegally applying insecticides to its wildbird food products that are toxic to birds, fal-sifying pesticide registration documents,distributing pesticides with misleading andunapproved labels and distributing unregis-tered pesticides. This is the largest criminalpenalty under FIFRA to date.In a separate civil agreement with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),Scotts agreed to pay more than $6 million inpenalties and spend $2 million on environ-mental projects under a settlement that re-solves additional civil pesticide violations .The violations include distributing or sellingunregistered, canceled or misbranded pesti-cides, including products with inadequatewarnings or cautions. This is the largest civilsettlement under FIFRA to date.“As the world’s largest marketer of resi-

dential use pesticides, Scotts has a specialobligation to make certain that it observesthe laws governing the sale and use of itsproducts. For having failed to do so, Scottshas been sentenced to pay the largest fine inthe history of FIFRA enforcement,” saidIgnacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney Gen-eral for the Environment and Natural Re-sources Division of the Department of

Justice. “The Department of Justice willcontinue to work with EPA to assure thatpesticides applied in homes and on lawnsand food are sold and used in compliancewith the laws intended to assure theirsafety.”“The misuse or mislabeling of pesticide

products can cause serious illness in humansand be toxic to wildlife,” said Cynthia Giles,Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office ofEnforcement and Compliance Assurance.“Today’s sentence and unprecedented civilsettlement hold Scotts accountable for wide-spread company noncompliance with pesti-cide laws, which put products into the handsof consumers without the proper authoriza-tion or warning labels.”In the plea agreement, Scotts admitted that

it applied the pesticides Actellic 5E andStorcide II to its bird food products eventhough EPA had prohibited this use. Scottshad done so to protect its bird foods from in-sect infestation during storage. Scotts admitted that it used these pesti-

cides contrary to EPA directives and in spiteof the warning label appearing on all Stori-cide II containers stating, “ Storcide II is ex-tremely toxic to fish and toxic to birds andother wildlife.” Scotts sold this illegallytreated bird food for two years after it beganmarketing its bird food line and for sixmonths after employees specifically warnedScotts management of the dangers of thesepesticides. By the time it voluntarily recalled these

products in March 2008, Scotts had soldmore than 70 million units of bird food ille-gally treated with pesticide that is toxic tobirds.


TRADE & MARKET NEWSRefrigerated containers Provide

opportunities for banana exportersAn article published on the Maersk

shipping line’s website has de-scribed the change under way in

the transportation of bananas resultingfrom the increase in the use of refrigeratedcontainers, known as ‘reefer containers’. A single 20-foot container can hold

48,000 bananas. Significantly, the use ofrefrigerated containers allows bananas tobe kept fresh for up to 50 days, creatingnew marketing opportunities. Already in 2009 around a third of all ba-

nanas were transported internationally inrefrigerated containers, and this proportionis growing.According to a Maersk Line in-house

study on the Indian banana trade, ‘refrig-erated containers can support smallholdergrowers in getting their bananas to foreignmarkets at a higher value than they canachieve domestically and at much lowerwaste levels’. It is also noted that ‘the modular nature

of refrigerated containers means small-holder farmers are more easily able to dis-tribute smaller volumes.’ This is seen asopening up new opportunities for ‘more in-clusive’ supply chains.The Maersk Line article also highlights

the findings of a study by WWF/UN

Global Compact on ‘Smart Goods Trans-port’ that growing certain products, e.g. inAfrica, and shipping them to Europe in en-ergy-efficient vessels can be less carbon-intensive than greenhouse production inEurope. Maersk adds that, in response toconsumer concerns, it has recently joined amulti-stakeholder alliance ‘to advance keyeconomic, social and environmental ob-jectives in global food supply chains’.However, an article posted on Fresh-

plaza.com reports that research undertakenby the South African Citrus Growers As-sociation has suggested that pallets used in‘reefer containers’ are 15% heavier than

conventional pallets, with consequent costimplications along the logistics chain,while the incidence of damage to citrusfruits was reportedly higher (based on off-the-record comments from cargo insurers).A focus of the Maersk article was on the

scope for expanding imports of bananasfrom India, the world’s largest banana pro-ducer. Press reports indicate that Brazil isalso to initiate a major banana export drivefrom the second half of 2012, following theelaboration of ‘good practice’ protocols forthe production of export-quality bananas. The first scheduled exports to the EU are

set for November 2012, and there arehopes that Germany in particular will offerconsiderable market potential for the ‘sil-ver banana’ variety.Ecuador, meanwhile, is increasingly con-

cerned about the rise of Guatemala andPeru as banana exporters, according to an-other article posted on Freshplaza.com.Guatemala has high productivity levels(3,500 boxes per ha, compared to 1,800/hain Ecuador), and Peru has a specialist focuson organic banana production. Peruvian organic banana exports in the

first quarter of 2012 were reportedly up30% compared to the same period in 2011,which was itself a record year.

http://agritrade.cta.int

The Chinese-owned Pan CaribbeanSugar Corporation (PCSC) recentlysigned a new marketing agreement

with the Jamaica government to market itssugar. According to reports from the Jamaica

Information Service, an agency agreementwas signed in May 2012 which gave thePCSC ‘the right to market its own sugar,under the provisions of the Sugar IndustryControl Act.’The Minister of Agriculture, Roger

Clarke explained that for the next threecrop years, ‘the rest of the industry willcontinue to pool their sugar in order to sat-isfy an agreement to supply Tate and Lyleof Britain with a specified quantity ofsugar.’ This consists of two sugar estatesnot controlled by PCSC, and planters affil-iated to the Jamaica Cane Farmers Associ-ation.The CEO of PCSC, Francis He gave an

undertaking to work with the cane farmersAssociation to arrive at a mechanism thatis transparent, efficient and cost-effective.The Minister sought to reassure farmers

that the dual marketing arrangement wouldnot place them at a disadvantage, since theSugar Industry Authority (SIA) would ‘in-dependently verify the authenticity ofwhatever proceeds will be declared by PanCaribbean’ and would ensure that PCSCused the ‘existing cane payment formula.’

The International Sugar Organization calledtime on the four-season spell of squeezed

sugar supplies which drove futures to a 30-year high, foreseeing record production keep-ing prices under "bearish pressure".The group, in its first formal forecasts for

2012-13, forecast world sugar output rising by2.3% to a record 177.4m tonnes, led by a sharprecovery in Brazil, the biggest producer.Brazil's output will "improve considerably",

soaring 11% to 38.1m tonnes during the sea-son, on the October-to-September season theISO strictly follows, if remaining below therecord 40.9m tonnes set three years before.However, consumption will rise more

slowly, by 1.9%, to 171.5m tonnes, leaving the

world with an output surplus of 5.9m tonnes.While the ISO slashed its estimate of the

2011-12 surplus by more than 1.3m tonnes to5.3m tonnes, reflecting more buoyant ideas ofconsumption, the world looks set to see a sub-stantial rebuilding on world inventories.The stocks-to-use ratio, an indicator of the

tightness of supplies of a raw material andtherefore of its price potential, looks set to re-turn by the end of 2012-13 to "around 40%"."This suggests that the period of low stocks

environment, one of the main market charac-teristics for the past four seasons from 2008-09 to 2011-12, would be over," theorganisation said, signalling a downward in-fluence on values.

Pan Caribbeanto Sell its Sugar

China is set to become Africa’s ‘largestexport destination’ and single biggest

trading partner in 2012, according to analy-sis from Standard Bank, South Africa. Thisis a dramatic turnaround in just 4 years,since in 2008 ‘exports to China stood athalf those to the US.’China has also managed to rapidly in-

crease exports to Africa, with analysts de-scribing China as ‘well positioned toparticipate in Africa’s next phase of devel-opment’. Bilateral trade volumes between

Africa and China now exceed US$160 bil-lion per annum, or almost one-fifth ofAfrica’s overall trade. ‘Imports [to Africa]from China stood at $73 billion in 2011’,up 23% on 2010.According to Standard Bank, ‘the rapid

growth in trade between the two regions isputting pressure on more established part-ners such as the EU and the US tostrengthen their commercial ties withAfrica’. Significantly, ‘fuels, ores and met-als account for almost 90% of all Chineseimports from Africa’.

China’s growing role in African trade

ISO bearish on sugar pricesas supply squeeze ends


The Pesticides Control Author-ity, Ministry of Health, joins

the rest of the Caribbean throughthe Coordinating Group of Pesti-cide Control Boards of theCaribbean (CGPC) each year inobserving Pesticides AwarenessWeek. This year it will be observed

during the week of September 23-29, with the theme “ProtectingHealth and the Environmentthrough Pesticide Management.”The prime objective of observ-

ing the week is to remind pesti-cide sellers and users, includingfarmers and householders, that ingeneral pesticides are poisons,and therefore need to be handled,stored and used with care, and the

empty containers disposed ofsafely, following the label. The activities for the week in-

clude:• Sunday Sept. 23: Church serv-ice at Saxthorpe Methodist, St.Andrew.

• Tuesday Sept. 25: NationalAgricultural Schools Quiz com-petition at Sydney Pagon HighSchool, Elim, St. Elizabeth, • Wednesday Sept. 26: Commu-nity meeting on pesticide safetyin Guy’s Hill, St. Catherine, • Thursday Sep. 27: Outsidebroadcast in St. William GrantPark, KingstonPesticide safety messages are

also being broadcast on radio andtelevision, as well as printed inthis newspaper feature.This year 2012 is also the 20th

anniversary of the operations ofthe Pesticides Control Authoritywhich started in 1992 under thefirst Registrar, Mr. Paul Whylie.The Pesticides Control Author-

ity wishes to thank all stakehold-ers that are participating in

Pesticides Awareness Week. Theyinclude agencies of the Ministriesof Health, Agriculture and Fish-eries, and Industry, Investmentand Commerce, the Jamaica Agri-cultural Chemicals Associationand. Pesticide safety is vital to the

Jamaican people and environ-ment, and all must play their part.

PESTICIDES AWARENESS FEATUREProtecting the Health and Environment

Through Pesticide Management

By Michael Ramsay, Registrar,Pesticides Control Authority

Aprime objective of all theplayers in the pesticides sup-

ply chain - manufacturers, dis-tributors and retailers- is toensure the safe and effective useof their products. This begins at the manufacturer'slevel with the constant search fornew products, which increasinglyare effective at low doses, arepest specific, and are lower intoxicity and environmental im-pact.The pesticide industry's concern

for safety is also carried into thedevelopment of appropriate pack-aging and labelling in accordancewith local regulations. Further,end users are instructed on safeuse by means of field days andother extension activities in suchareas as storage, application,worker protection and safe dis-posal of pesticides. Cooperation with regulatory

and Government extension agen-cies in the promotion of the safeuse of pesticides is also a focus ofdistributors and retailers. The In-dustry has also developed a num-ber of specific safe use guides forstorage & disposal, transporta-tion, application and first aid,among others. Locally, the pesticide trade en-

deavours to comply with the

PCA's requirements for registra-tion, classification and safe man-agement of the products, and tobe the interface between overseasmanufacturers and the regulatoryagency, as well as to implementthe stewardship requirements ofthe manufacturers.As a general guide to safe use,

the industry highly recommendsthat the label directions should bestrictly followed: READ THE LABEL and

READ IT AGAIN!!The JACA is an association ofdealers in pesticides set up to rep-resent members’ views and inter-ests to the Government, otherorganizations with an interest inpesticides and the public at large.

Ensuring the safe andeffective use of pesticides

By Graham Dunkley,President, Jamaica AgriculturalChemicals Association (JACA)

A regular copy ineverybody’s interest...

The AgriculturalistBook your advert...

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

www.tropicalfarmersalmanac.com


Cockroaches, flies, ants, rats, miceand stored product pests (which in-

clude weevils and moths) are all pestswhich may infest food establishments. These establishments provide just

what these pests need: food, water andshelter. An integrated pest management(IPM) approach, which includes properstorage, inspection, sanitation andproofing, will minimize infestation andpesticide usage.Food storage areas must be of sound

construction, well maintained and freeof leaks, cracks and crevices. Storageareas must be kept dry, cool and wellventilated. Sanitary bases are advisedand walls should be painted in a lightcolour.All unnecessary openings must be

permanently blocked and necessaryopenings, such as windows, properlymeshed and doors must be close fitting.Never store infested goods with whole-some goods and practice first in, first outstock rotation.Sanitation is critical in any IPM pro-

gramme. All areas must be kept clean,dry and free of food particles. A vacuummay used to get rid of small insects.Garbage bins must be securely coveredand emptied regularly. Outdoor areasmust be free of debris and all possiblepest harbourage areas removed. Vegeta-tion must be kept low.

It is important to regularly inspect in-doors and outdoors. Inspect all goods(food and non-food) upon receipt. It may be necessary to inspect at night

for rats, mice and cockroaches. Staffmembers must know the signs of pestinfestation and understand the negativehealth and economic impact pests have.If it becomes necessary to apply pesti-

cides, always use a licensed operator.Pesticides must always be used in amanner to prevent poisoning of personsand contamination of food areas. In-fested goods must be treated or dis-posed of as soon as possible.

For further information, please contact theFood Storage and Prevention of InfestationDivision (FSPID), Ministry of Industry, In-vestment and Commerce.

PESTICIDES AWARENESS FEATUREPesticide storage anduse around the home

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Food Establishments

Courtsey of Caribbean PoisonInformation Network (CARPIN)

Common household pesticides that areusually found around the home arerat bait, roach poison, ants’ powder

or gel and aerosol spray for flying andcrawling insects. It is important, especially if children are

around, that keen attention is paid to theproper usage, storage and the right methodof cleaning after using such harmful chemi-cals.

Safe StorageHave a designated area for the storage ofpesticides and other dangerous chemicals.This area must be locked at all times, not ac-cessible by children and only be used for theprescribed purpose. Store pesticides in their original contain-

ers and in a well ventilated area. Pesticidesshould not be stored with food, drinkingwater or medicine.

UsageRead the label and follow the instructions

before using pesticides. Always wear pro-tective gears when using pesticides (observethe label) to limit your body’s exposure tothese harmful substances; remember theaim of using the chemical is to kill the pestand not harm yourself or loved ones in theprocess.

Be careful not to use pesticides aroundchildren and food. Children’s toys should beout of the way whilst using a pesticide athome, never overuse pesticide or purchasemore than what you need to use. There areother methods for preventing a pest probleminstead of using pesticides, such as disposingof garbage properly and keeping a sanitaryenvironment.

Tips• Change garments and wash hands thor-oughly after using a pesticide• Do not eat, drink or smoke while usingpesticide• Store pesticides in their original container,locked away out of the reach of children• Have the CARPIN number 1-888-764-7667 at hand when using any dangerous sub-stance• In case of accident follow the procedureson the label.


PESTICIDES AWARENESS FEATUREIPM uses compatible

strategies to reduce pests!

Cleaning yourPets Beds, LitterBoxes, Cages, etc• Never use bleach or other prod-ucts containing ammonia forcleaning as ammonia is in urineand your pet will think it is urinethey are smelling.

• Your pet has a favorite pillow itsnuggles up with. This is all welland good, but every now and thenyou might want to make it smell alittle less petlike. You can do thisby sprinkling the bedding withbaking soda, letting it stand for atleast 15 minutes, then vacuumingthoroughly.

• Clean the cat litter pan by re-moving the soiled litter and pour-ing in 1/2 inch vinegar. Let itstand for ten minutes or so, thenpour out and dry. To control odorsbefore filling again, sprinkle 1/2cup baking soda over the bottomof the pan. Don’t forget to cleanthe litter scoops as well.

• Most bird and rabbit cages, fer-ret houses, hamster homes, etc.can be adequately cleaned bywip-ing them down with a sponge

sprinkled with baking soda ordampened with vinegar. Both ofthese are especially good withurine smells and stains. You mightalso want to add a thin layer ofbaking soda on the floor of thecage after cleaning to help controlodors.

When it's time to clean out the fishtank, clean the inside of the glasswith plain non-iodized salt bysprinkling it onto a damp spongeand scrubbing. This will removehard water deposits or otherbuildup on the glass. Rinse every-thing well before returning thefish to the tank.

Contact:Jamaican Society for the

Prevention of Cruelty to Animal929-0320:

[email protected] www.jspca.info

Pet CareIntegrated Pest Management(IPM) uses compatible strategies

to reduce pest numbers and damageto acceptable levels. IPM emphasizes minimal nega-

tive impacts of pesticides on the en-vironment and human health. Neighbouring farmers must coop-

erate with each other for best re-sults. Strategies include:Cultural–Normal work that

makes field conditions best for thecrop and worst for the pest. e.g.proper site selection, land prepara-tion, field sanitation, planting time,crop rotation and water manage-ment.Mechanical–The use of green-

houses, crop barriers, hand-pickingof pests and insect trapping.Biological-natural enemies of

pests (e.g. ladybird beetles), pestdiseases, pheromones, plant juices.Chemical–using pesticides only

when necessary. Choose soaps, oils,botanical and biorationals beforeharsher pesticides. Biorationals are pesticides of nat-

ural origin that have little or no ad-verse effects on the environment.

IPM Rules for Pesticide Use• Know what problem is affectingthe crop• If a pesticide is needed, use thesafest one that will work. • Read and follow the label• Measure the right amount and mixproperly• Where possible, use baits insteadof sprays.• If pests are only in small sectionsof the field, treat only those sections• Always use the right sprayer andnozzle for the job:o Hollow cone for insecticides andfungicideso Flood jet or fan jet for herbicides.

Summary• Study fields and surroundings;learn about pests, beneficials, othercrop problems (e.g. poor nutrition)and their causes,• Do not try to kill every single pest,most crops bear well even withsome pest damage.

Principles of IPM1. Understand the crop, its environ-ment and how they interact 2. Many disciplines are involved3. Natural techniques are maxi-mized4. Pesticides are a last resort Impactof IPM• Increased crop yield and quality • Reduced losses to pests• Reduced health risks 4. Improved environmental qualityand food safety5.Improved farmer earnings

-Contributed by the Rural Agricultural

Development Authority (RADA)

the agriculturalist - sept 2012 issue

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