Jamaica’s agricultural sector has been in decline from the late 1950s due to issues such as marketing challenges, loans delinquencies, inadequate availability of affordable financing, climate change, Government disinterest in agriculture, etc.

Undoubtedly, food security and sovereignty are key national priorities that hinge on either rebuilding agriculture or having the purchase power to finance the importation of food.

The economy faces an uphill task to find sufficient foreign exchange to purchase the essential goods and services for the country and Government must find ways to stimulate local production of foods, renewable energy; manufacturing of goods required for economic growth. And agriculture is the most feasible starting point to drive agro processing, encourage import substitution, improve agricultural export and provide rural employment.

The traditional crops are the pillars to support both agro processing and export driven agriculture. The rapidly dwindling production of cocoa, banana, sugar cane, coffee, citrus and pimento must be addressed immediately through government policies, improved budgetary allocations and farmers’ involvement.

These are permanent crops that need tailored land deals with long-term affordable lease and special financial arrangements to foster production. Government could provide meaningful grants through bilateral donor assistance, using government plant nurseries to propagate these seedlings at concessional costs to farmers and subsidised land preparation and establishment of these orchards.

The rebuilding programme must include vegetables, root crops and livestock. The growing US$-billion food import bill is unsustainable and includes spices, vegetables, beef, mutton, chicken parts, pork products, and other food additives. Vast quantities of these food imports can be produced locally but Government has failed to create the correct policies to discourage their imports and to incentivise farmers to produce these products.

Currently, 85 per cent of mutton consumed is imported, most of the beef and beef products are also from foreign countries. This situation is facilitated by Government’s failure to sustain the legacies left by TP Lecky, Karl Wellington, and many other agricultural scientists who made significant contributions to cattle development locally and worldwide. Unfortunately, this government neglect is partly responsible for the decimation of the cattle industry (beef and dairy).

Since 1980s, fresh milk production fell from 40 million litres to about 12 million litres currently and this milk dilemma is directly related to inept government policy at the time, but it’s not too late to revive this vital subsector.

In the 2023 Budget Debate, Minister of Finance and Public Service Nigel Clarke announced the removal of the 15 per cent GCT on imported foodstuff to include vegetables and although it’s necessary to import food during shortage, it was not intended that this practice should adversely affect local production but whilst the strain on the foreign exchange requirements is onerous on the economy, the consumers have not benefited from reasonable prices or from the robust competition from purchasing from dealers trading local produce.

The rebuilding doesn’t need another study but financial assistance, land reform, targeted research, adoptable technologies and training.

Many of these requirements are to be done by government agencies like Bodles Research Station, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Agricultural Invest Cooperation (AIC), etc. These entries are funded from government budgetary allocations, so the rebuilding doesn’t have to start from scratch but from a new approach from these entries.

It’s argued that the extension service hasn’t done enough to improve and expand root crops such as yams, sweet and Irish potatoes, dasheen although most of these crops are listed on the Government’s prioty list but without the emphasis the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining intended.

Yellow yam production in 2022 was 210 000 tons from which export earned US$40m and export market exists for more yams, sweet potato and dasheen.

It’s obvious that the redesign of the agricultural sector is vital and can only be done with farmers at the centre.

Lenworth Fulton is a former head of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, the 4H Clubs and Rural Agricultural Development Authority.