ST JAMES, Jamaica — More Jamaicans are being encouraged to do backyard farming, by Chairman of the Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB), Dr Derrick Deslandes.

“Today, backyard farming is not what it used to be. You now have container gardening; roof-top gardening systems; you can automate your backyard; you can create hydroponic systems, small systems that can produce lettuce, tomatoes, and a whole host of things. We need to start to encourage and show people [how],” he emphasised.

Deslandes was addressing a handover ceremony at the Sydney Pagon Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy, in St Elizabeth, on March 23.

He also noted that technology has improved the ease with which farming is done, requiring the use of more brain than brawn.

“What I find is that this idea of using fork and hoe, that is old school. None of our young people are doing that. We must find a way to demonstrate to them the technology. I know that technology now makes life easier, because it is the brain that is operating, not the brawn. We must make that transition, as we still, in many respects, have folks throughout the country focusing on the brawn,” Deslandes pointed out.

He added that there are now tractors that can be programmed using a global positioning system (GPS), to plough land on their own.

“There is no more driving it, we are talking about tractors that do not require driving, so we are way behind the technology curve. We must move; we can’t crawl. We must jump because we need to catch up,” Deslandes implored.

The handover ceremony was hosted by the JDDB, which donated a mobile milk machine to the school. The equipment is the first such device to be given to an institution on the island and is expected to assist in reducing the risks associated with milking cows by hand.

The JDDB is the regulatory body for the dairy sector and operates under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.