While rice and peas is a famous Jamaican dish, the country remains dependent on importing our staple food rather than local cultivation. Visiting the island this week, acclaimed African agricultural scientist Dr Monty Jones has been grappling (since the 1970s) with the challenge of producing new, tougher and more productive rice varieties, helping subsistence farmers grow themselves out of poverty and his continent further away from the threat of famine.

The visit of Sierra Leonean Jones, executive director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), winner of the 2004 World Food Prize with his New Rice for Africa (NERICA) project and was included by Time magazine in it's list of the worlds 'Most Influential' in 2007, comes at a time when the Government of Jamaica is experimenting with rice growing to help meet its objective of raising agricultural productivity and food security. The government has already enlisted the help of China and Japan (both co-funded the development of NERICA) both have agreed in principle to provide grant funding and technical assistance, among other international partners.

Dr Monty Jones, Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). (Photo: Ross Sheil)

Various rice varieties are being tested by the Ministry of Agriculture at its research facility in Bodles, St Catherine (which is being refurbished to house the planned Centre of Excellence) with lands earmarked for cultivation in that parish and St Elizabeth, should it prove feasible.

Under cultivation in Africa NERICA has reported increased yields of between 25 and 250 per cent and Jones believes that Jamaica with its regular rainfall should investigate the potential of domestic production to substitute for imports. According to statistics from the ministry food imports increased from a level of US$480 million in 2002 to US$652 million for the year 2007, up to the end of November - 61 per cent of food consumed in Jamaica is imported.

"I know very little about Jamaica but I learnt that rice is consumed but not cultivated, but when I look at your rainfall and climate conditions I think that rice could also do very well here in Jamaica and get two crops per season in a given year because of your rainfall patterns," Jones told the Business Observer during an interview at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel yesterday, where he will be addressing the Scientific Research Council (SRC) annual conference at 9:00 am today, a session that is free to the public.

With FARA charged with disseminating agricultural research and development throughout the continent under the African Union (AU) Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), his experience will likely be of interest to the local agricultural sector and he is due to meet with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture before leaving the island tomorrow.

Jones said that although Africa is experiencing a reduced level of conflicts and sustained economic growth, the benefits are yet to be passed on to the poor of the continent. However, with over 60 per cent of Africans involved in subsistence agriculture, expected rises in yields have the potential to substantially reduce poverty. According to FARA, a one per cent increase in yields will be met by a corresponding 0.72 per cent reduction in poverty.

With the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) reporting 231,200 Jamaicans working in 'agriculture, fisheries and forestry' up to the end of April, Jones expects that increasing yields could lead to similar benefits throughout rural Jamaica.

"We haven't really exploited the potential yet (in Africa) but rice is one crop that in the next 10-15 years that we should be able to double the yield [so] that quite a number of countries will become sufficient in rice production and even export outside the continent," said Jones. He said that the the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported that African rice production increased by seven per cent last year which he attributed to NERICA increasing yields on 250,000 where it is being cultivated from 250,000 to 750,000 tonnes.

Wayne Henry, special advisor to Agriculture Minister Christopher Tufton and designate head of the Centre of Excellence for Agriculture, said that Government wanted to increase crop yields by 20 per cent each year, but admitted that heavy rains were proving an obstacle.

"Hopefully with the consultancy we can arrive at a model to proceed with rice with sufficient efficiency, and given that a little over 60 per cent of our food consumed locally is imported, then we would see huge cost savings and benefits to the economy," said Henry.

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