There is much to do in agriculture
Dear Editor,
Food security is of utmost importance as we all found out during the pandemic. I welcome back Minister Floyd Green to the agriculture ministry as I think he is the one who can transform agriculture in Jamaica.
Agriculture cannot only be about giving farmers crops to plant. It is more than that. We need to provide post-harvest storage facilities so that whenever there is a glut farmers do not panic. In Jamaica, it is either feast or famine when it comes to certain crops. You hear about a glut of tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc. This need not be if proper post-harvest storage facilities are put in place.
Tomatoes can have a shelf life of up to six months if stored in a dark, cool facility. Onions, if placed in a dryer, can last months. Gluts should not cause a panic. It should be viewed as an opportunity to store produce so that it will be available after the end of the crop. Apples are not grown during the winter in the USA; however, the fruits are available year round. Excess crop is stored and released into the market when the trees no longer bear fruits. The common denominator in all of this is post-harvest storage.
Jamaica has a lot of agro-processing facilities. They will also be the drivers of the agricultural sector; however, there must be a formal linkage with the processors and farmers. Many pepper farmers who sell to exporters only come to the processors when they cannot sell their produce on the export market as they no longer meet the specs. For instance, the initial bearing of peppers produce large fruits, but as the tree gets older, the fruit gets smaller and can no longer be exported. My estimate is that only 40 per cent of fresh peppers can be exported, leaving the farmer with 60 per cent to dispose of on the local market.
Export farmers tend to shun the processors as the price that they pay is less than the exporter. Most processors who buy produce will not see a return on what is purchased until four to six months down the road.
The sector needs to be modernised to achieve proper economies of scale. Farmers should also be advised that planting less than an acre of any crop will not be feasible.
There is no quick fix for the sector, but these are some attainable steps that we can make in the short term while we collectively develop a long-term plan.
Andrew Gray
grays.pepper@cwjamaica.com
