A case for Agri-preneurship in Jamaica
The only Agriculture Ministry we ought to have, is one that regulates and monitors the productivity and marketing thrust and activities of the Agro Co-operatives.
But unfortunately, the tribalism is deep and the divide amongst the people is so steep it is virtually impossible to unite the people and country around one common cause.
If this should even happen, it would be totally eroded by the stroke of a pen when a loving yet likky likky Minister or Permanent Secretary decides to accept a kickback for a concessionary arrangement or simply collect millions to screw over the farmers for personal gain; cause let’s face it, anytime you start ruffling the feathers of the major players in the distributive trade, your collective corners are dark.
On the other hand, any Minister that comes under either administration is going to have the same problems because where there is no vision, the people perish; perhaps we need a Minister of Vision more than a Minister of Agriculture.
A Minister that can take the people by the hand and present a case for more sustainable and focused value-added production that is based on market research and MOU’s with other countries who are willing to partner with Jamaica’s farmers and their co-operatives because Government needs to facilitate and not lead.
JAS (Jamaica Agricultural Society) needs to be revamped or ejected, or perhaps injected with new life-blood void of the partisanship (if this is at all possible).
A real Agro development bank with venture capital must be established, not solely for farmers, but for Agro Production on a whole.
A bond needs to be floated amongst the disapora and Jamaicans solely for agro-vision.
Petro-caribe funds must fund renewable energy projects and alternatives to chemicals and fertilizers.
Our own manure and locally made fertilizers must be subsidized and employed for soil conservation and preservation while we save some US dollars and reduce the trade deficit; bad, depleted soil is always an issue and for God’s sake, let’s deal with one problem at a time in Agriculture and get rid of it and move on to another, because oftentimes, the same problems we rehash each decades are old and gray!
Let’s brush off the research that works and the things that work and replicate throughout the country where possible; let’s retrofit our production centres with wind and solar hybrid systems that will make cooling and storage of foods and inputs, more efficient, affordable and sustainable so we can store food where possible and stop shipping samples and raising prices in such an ad hoc manner; this will move us from selling samples to real productivity including, but not limited to, poultry, layer and egg production;
Let us stop applauding mediocrity and making out politicians and their side-kicks in the ministries to be demi-Gods and Jesus who miraculously turned water into wine or fed 5000 people with 5 fishes and a loaf of bread.
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