BANANAS have for ages been the foundation for the economic livelihood of the north-eastern parish of St Mary.

So much is the cultivation of banana revered and respected, that the crop has been referred to as the “gold” of the parish.

St Mary is well-known for its bananas. In fact, it is referred to as the banana parish of Jamaica, as years ago shiploads of the starchy food, most of them from St Mary, left Jamaica’s shores for destinations in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America.

Now, if you ask the average housewife she will tell you that shopping for bananas these days can be tedious and frustrating in the parish as there is said to be a significant decline in production, which has resulted in a hike in the price paid for the product.

Farmers, too, will admit that the production of banana in the parish is on the decline.

Some persons have been blaming this on the passage of Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed the majority of the crop in the parish last year, but farmers say that other factors have resulted in the drop in production over the years.

While many have said that they have still not received any assistance since Hurricane Sandy struck last year, one group of St Mary banana farmers has admitted that it is not only natural disasters which are causing a shortage of the commodity in the parish.

Several farmers from Jack’s River said that the cost of production, lack of markets and praedial larceny have demotivated farmers, especially the younger generation, from continuing to grow bananas on a large scale.

Richie Rose told the Jamaica Observer that he has lost interest in growing bananas, as there is no one to talk to regarding the problems being faced.

“The RADA field officers need to leave their office and mingle with the farmers, tell we what good and what we must use,” Rose said.

“We need people to come and sit down and talk to us and say don’t use this fertiliser. We no have anybody to talk to when things going wrong,” Rose stated.

The farmers said that the crops continue to die as a result of worms and for reasons unknown to them. Guidance from those who are knowledgeable about such things, however, could see an improvement in the amount of bananas planted.

“Some of what we use to treat the banana not working again,” Rose said, adding that new chemicals or methods of treatment had to be used, but that the farmers cannot do it on their own.

The market for their produce is another issue which is said to have resulted in the decline.

Sylvester Green, another farmer, said that for farmers to be selling only to higglers, it is not worth it and has called on the Government to build more factories where farmers can supply food products.

“If the farmers know they have a set location where dem can deliver the bananas and collect a cheque at the end of the month they would put out more effort, but to be walking and selling one-one higgler it nah go make it,” Green stated.

He added: “The Government needs to set up factories so that farmers can have markets.”

The farmers said that they have had produce such as watermelons, lettuce, ackees, mangoes spoiling as they do not have ready markets.

“The Government also needs to implement some cold storage areas. Food nuh suppose to a go to waste,” Green added.

Jamaica faces a high importation bill, but, Green said, small farmers can supply adequate food. However, he believes that proper structures have to be put in place and more assistance granted to the farmers.

“We can support ourselves foodwise,” he added.

He, however, stressed that many Jamaicans are “foreign-minded” and are not eating what is grown in the island.

He went on to explain that with the informal structure of agriculture in Jamaica and one not having a sure market, persons are fearful of always operating at a loss.

“If we have one point where we all take our goods and the Government distribute it both locally and abroad, it work out better,” he said.

This, he said, could also see a reduction in praedial larceny.

Green stated that many persons in the community have also cut back on the amount of bananas planted as they cannot afford the fertiliser or treatment against diseases or insects, which destroy their crop.

“We don’t get benefits; St Mary is left behind. Nobody business wid we round here,” he said.

“In the past, Government used to assist us … you cannot plant banana without fertiliser,” another farmer, Neville Burnett, said.

Burnett said that fertilisers, and other things needed, have become very expensive.

The farmers also lamented the lack of water in their community. They said that living in a community with a river has saved them from embarrassment.

“Not even water we nuh have round ya. You can imagine that. We worse than swine,” Green said.

The farmers not only have to deal with hurricanes, high cost of production and lack of a structured marketing facility and inadequate resources, but also thieves.

“Everything you have, three-quarters of it gone to thieves,” Burnett said.

The farmers said that harsher penalties should be meted out to those convicted of praedial larceny.

“We need some judges who are farmers,” Burnett said.

“These sentencing of three months for stealing what you work so hard to plant and wait so long to come in, too easy. Dem only entice criminal,” a passionate Burnett added.

He said that with the situation facing the farmers, they are not encouraged to continue farming.

“Him [thief] should work and pay you back what you lose and still get sentenced,” he added.

With so many factors affecting them, the farmers said that many are forced to cut large-scale farming.

The farmers are also lamenting the practice of fertile lands being used for housing, as farmers are forced to “try their hands on rocky soils”.

The farmers said that there are also lands that are fast becoming woodlands but which could be leased and used for agriculture in the parish, if the Government wants to ensure food security.

“People have lands harbouring criminals and not using it,” Green said.

In the meantime, Custos Emeritus of the parish and former Jamaica Agricultural Society and the All-Island Banana Growers’ Association president, AA “Bobby” Pottinger, said that while bananas are on the decline, St Mary remains the leader in banana production in Jamaica.

“As a concentrated crop, St Mary leads the way,” he said. “In spite of this, bananas are on the decline, resulting in a scarcity,” he added.

Pottinger said that the majority of banana growers were small- and medium-scale farmers, so recovery efforts have been a challenge for them after Hurricane Sandy.

Pottinger stated that many of the farmers depend on assistance given to the country by the European Union as they do not have enough insurance to protect them after a hurricane.

“What we now have is just a catastrophe fund which was seeded by the European Union (EU) and which farmers continue to put something in,” he said.

The assistance from this fund is not much, so farmers still face big costs after disaster strikes.

“Many farmers are trying to get back on their own at the moment,” Pottinger said.

He went on to add that the majority of farmers should rebound from the effects of Hurricane Sandy by the end of July. However, the supply will still not be enough, as more of the crop should be planted to supply the local market as well as to fulfil the possibility of an export market.

Pottinger said that banana farming remains attractive to those who are already in it; however, the challenge is now to get young farmers on board.

“We have a lot of lands that we could put in bananas if we get the level of assistance,” he argued.

Pottinger said that there are many idle lands and idle hands in the parish which could not only remedy the shortage but which could reduce crime in the parish, too.

“Agriculture is the answer, but it has to be attractive,” Pottinger pointed out.

The veteran farmer added that strategies had to be taken to get young men interested in banana growing.

“Banana is a long-term crop and no youngster is going to sit down for nine months and just sit and wait,” he suggested.

As a result, he said, the young men have to be assisted with cash crops to provide them with an income as they start off in banana growing.

He said that more assistance for the farmers is expected to come from the EU later this year.

However, farmers have lamented the process to get assistance provided by the EU as very tedious and disadvantageous to small farmers as this assistance is often issued in the form of loans and requires much documentation the small farmers are unable to provide.

While farmers are bashing the Rural Agriculture Development Agency for not providing them with assistance to combat the decline in banana in St Mary, parish manager Howard O’Hara said that the farmers, if they are in need of assistance, should contact the office and help will be given.

O’Hara said that field officers were active in the parish. However, the farmers, he said, had to seek assistance, if needed.

President of the All-Island Banana Growers’ Association Grethel Sessing said that there are three major factors which had caused a decline in banana production in the parish. These, she said, were the frequency of bad weather, high cost of input and the inability of farmers to access affordable financing.

She admitted that if famers had easier access to financing, the situation could be improved.