I am sure many Jamaicans are impressed with the zeal and determination with which Agriculture Minister Pearnel Charles Jr has approached the difficult task of runnung one of the most important ministries.

It is always said that hard work brings more hard work, and as a person who grew up in Manchester as an ardent 4H clubite, I have good recollection of what that parish had during the 1950s to about early 1990s. I quite understand change of usage, but this is not necessary. With todays unstable world we cannot continue to depend on so much imported food.

Firstly, citrus production, to which the parish had contributed so much, is almost dead. The ortanique variety, which originated in the parish and given to the world, is almost gone. So are the other varieties.

The aroma of ripe oranges on approaching Porus, whether by road or rail, is now just a memory. Only a few of the many citrus vendors’ stalls that used to adorn the roadside with the golden fruits have survived.

Getting a cool drink of fresh orange juice at Trout Hall near Belle Plain is ancient history. The site of a citrus canning factory in May Pen is now occupied by a gas station.

Secondly, coffee, which was another major crop in Manchester, is now gone. In times past, houses could hardly be seen from the main roads because every house was surrounded by coffee trees.

Thirdly, pimento, which was once another dominant crop in the parish, is not so anymore. Nobody seems to care about pimento anymore, not even the birds.

Fourthly, Irish potato production, which started in Manchester, is not as vibrant as it used to be and the yield per acre is less than formerly.

I could also add red peas production since this was a crop that followed on as soon as potato was reaped. We should not be importing red peas.

Corn could also be added to the list as this was once a big crop in Manchester. I still possess a small shelling machine which my father used to shell his corn.

Fifth, is the fact that cattle-rearing has declined considerably. The Jamaica black and Jamaica reds are not so common anymore.

The milk truck stopped running years ago, and Grove Place and Litchfield farms, which had early starts in white pigs, chickens, and pasture are either non-existent or in ruins.

Up to about 20 years ago the Christiana area had bananas that had to be sprayed by aircraft. Boxing stations were established in several banana growing areas. For those who don’t know, tourism grew out of the banana industry.

My observation of other aspects of agriculture production has shown that most of the cooking oils presently used in Jamaica are imported. I had previously suggested experimenting with the growing of olives which could be faster than coconut and would be good for health. If it grows in Mediterranean countries, it could grow in the tropics. After all, most of our economic crops we take for granted today originated overseas.

St Thomas used to produce lovely grapes. It could still do so and Jamaicans could enjoy fresher grapes than what is sold here now.

Breadfruit production needs to be expanded from a few trees to orchards. This produce was brought here to assist with the feeding of slaves, but it is a good way to feed our population. Free breadfruit suckers should be given to anybody who has the space for a tree.

I also recommend growing bananas for export.

Jamaica should not write off the sugar industry. We need to re-establish a modern factory in central Jamaica capable of producing not just raw sugar but a variety of by-products.

Bauxite which replaced sugar as a major earner will not be with us much longer and the novel coronavirus pandemic has shown us how the tourism industry can be destroyed overnight.

In our elementary school days we were taught in geography class that Jamaica was an agricultural country. I am sure it can be made so again. The old motto was “Eat what you can and can what you can’t.” This is still valid today.

Trevor Samuels

Public relations officer

National Consumers League

tasamuels@cwjamaica.com