Private sector can play bigger role in agriculture, says Jarrett

Saturday, November 21, 2009 6:20 AM

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Sunday, November 08, 2009

Jamaica National Building Society General Manager Earl Jarrett has said that the private sector needs to be more effectively harnessed to the task of agricultural development.

Speaking at the inaugural Private Sector Dialogue at the Week of Agriculture and Rural Life of the Americas, at the Holiday Inn in Montego Bay, St James, Jarrett said that Private initiative can bring about innovation, provide capital as well as risk mitigation in the sector.

It is critical that the private sector acts as the driving force in providing greater access to Internet facilities, given the pervasiveness of information communication technologies (ICT), he told the opening session.

"We could also consider whether the State, in partnership with cellular phone providers, could offer greater ICT access to persons at the base of the pyramid through the use of this technology," said Jarrett.

Present at the Private Sector Dialogue, which was chaired by Jarrett, were Delegations from 33 Member States of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

During the Dialogue, the participants sought to identify key policies and programmes that could be used to tackle the difficulties and tap the opportunities through public and private interventions. These concepts played a key role in the 5th hemispheric meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas and the 15th regular meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture, which formed a part of the Week of Agriculture.

At the closing session of the Private Sector Dialogue, Jarrett summarised the findings which had been reached. He noted that accelerated land titling process, agricultural insurance, innovative financing mechanisms such as the factoring of farmers' receivables and stronger measures against praedial larceny were important requirements for the sector.

Business organisations and individuals from Brazil, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile, Canada, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Mexico, Barbados and Saint Lucia attended the discussions.