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By Athaliah Reynolds-Baker,
JIS Reporter
Veteran agriculturalist
Lenworth Fulton as-
sumed the role of ChiefExecutive Officer of the Rural
Agricultural Development Au-thority (RADA) since May 1.
Fulton who heads the Jamaica
4-H Clubs for 12 years was offi-cially welcomed to his new post
by Agriculture and Fisheries Min-ister Roger Clarke, during a press
briefing on April 24 at his Hope
Gardens offices in St. Andrew.Clarke said the new CEO is
quite knowledgeable about theinner workings of RADA, hav-
ing been a member of the board
for some time. He is in familiarterritory and I hope, and expect,
that he will bring to bear all the
expertise that he [has gained] at
4-H, he stated.The Minister said Fultons ap-
pointment also presents a grand
opportunity to establish a greater
linkage between the 4-H Clubsand RADA, in an effort to in-
crease youth involvement in theagricultural sector.
Fulton brings to RADA, a
wealth of experience in manage-ment, agriculture and economics.
He is a graduate of the JamaicaSchool of Agriculture, now Col-
lege of Agriculture, Science and
Education (CASE) and TuskegeeUniversity in the United States,
where he obtained a Diploma in
General Agriculture and a Bach-elor of Science in Economics, re-
spectively.Fulton replaces outgoing Acting
CEO of RADA, Harold Spauld-
ing, who retires at the end of thismonth and was confirmed in the
position in January after beingasked to steer the agency in the
wake of the dismissal of chief ex-
ecutive officer Al Powell, a yearago.
In the meantime, the Ministeralso announced the appointment
of five new members to the boardof RADA.
They are: President and Chief
Executive Officer, CaribbeanVibes Limited, Bevon Morrison;
Director of the Agricultural Mar-
keting Information Division,Ministry of Agriculture and Fish-
eries, Michael Pryce; Executive
Assistant to the Minister, NatalieJohnson; President, International
Community Institute, Valrie
Dixon; and Development Con-sultant, Janet Bedasee.
Minister Clarke said the newmembers will bring a wealth of
expertise to the agency. They
bring to the table different areasof expertise, but their commit-
ment towards the strengthening of
RADA is something that will be
brought to bear as we move for-ward, he stated.
Clarke informed that the ap-
pointments were necessary, asthere were a number of vacant po-
sitions on the board.
He further remarked that the ad-dition will bring balance to the
table, pointing out that of thefive new members, four are
women. He noted that an increase
in female and youth participationin the agricultural sector forms
part of the Ministrys thrust.
365-2054
VOL. 24 NO. 2 MAY 2013 FR EE WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM
Fulton heads RADA
LENWORTH FULTONChief Executive Officer, RADA
March AgainstMonsanto
By Connor Adams
The March Against Monsanto is a worldwide day of protest to
raise awareness of concerns regarding the company's products.
The event will sweep across the globe on Saturday, May 25,bringing like-minded individuals from all corners ofthe earth together
to draw attention to the issue of genetically modified and genetically
engineered crops and seeds. The March Against Monsanto is a world-
wide protest taking place Saturday, May 25. Continued on page 4
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Aprobe has been launched into the
operations of Agro Invest Corpo-ration, the entity overseeing the es-tablishment of agro parks which form a
major plank of the Government of Ja-
maica's growth strategy.Roger Clarke, Minister of Agriculture,
said that the auditors have been called inas there is a suspicion of impropriety.
The spotlight was turned on Agro Invest
late last month after Audley Shaw, Oppo-sition Spokesman on Finance, urged the
Government to resolve issues affecting the
agro parks programme. Mr. Shaw, duringhis contribution to the Budget Debate, said
problems were developing at Agro Invest.He claimed that five persons had been dis-
missed from the entity and the implemen-
tation of agro parks was virtually indisarray.
The Minister of Agriculture has now
confirmed that all is not well at the entity.Some of the things that have been un-
earthed tend to tell you that somethingwasnt going well in terms of the adminis-
tration. We have called in the auditors and
they are checking on that now. I can justsay simply that even some of the assets of
the government cannot be found in thispoint in time, said Mr. Clarke.
He said the agro parks programme is
being reorganised in order to speed up itsimplementation.
The Government is expecting J$1.1 bil-
lion dollars to flow to farmers before theend of this fiscal year as a result of activi-
ties on the first five of nine proposed agroparks to be established across the island.
JAS and Digicel Sign $30 M Sponsorship DealMarch Against
MonsantoContinued from page 1
Monsanto has come under increasing fire
from food advocacy and consumer safety
groups in recent months, as the company
has been in the public eye, particularly as
controversy raged in March over the so-
called Monsanto Protection Act, a bit of
policy inserted into the HR 933 spending
bill that granted the company increased
protection from legal challenges. The pro-
vision was signed into law in late March
by President Barack Obama
The figurative jury is still out on
whether or not genetically modified and
genetically engineered foods have nega-
tive health impacts on humans, but sup-
porters of GMO labeling point to studies
showing potential risks ranging from kid-
ney and liver damage to reproductive sys-
tem issues.
Those concerns are in large part driving
citizens around the world to protest the
company on Saturday.
The March Against Monsanto eventscome at a time of renewed scrutiny of
Monsanto and the GMO industry in gen-
eral, as awareness grows about an amend-
ment inserted into the 2013 Farm Bill
passed by the House of Representatives'
Agriculture Committee Wednesday.
Food advocates warn that the provision
would revoke the ability of individual
states' lawmakers to pass GMO-labeling
laws.
The Jamaica Agricultural
Society (JAS) andtelecommunications giant,
Digicel, on Monday, May 20,signed a $30 million contract toprovide support for the Denbigh
Agricultural Industrial and FoodShow over the next three years.
Speaking at the signing event
held at Digicels downtownKingston headquarters, JAS Pres-
ident, Senator Norman Grant,commended the company on thepartnership, which started 12
years ago."We are very excited about this
sponsorship, which we see as
strategic, and is a perfect fit, be-cause technology is going to help
to boost and move agriculture.The way we communicate amongour 230,000 farmers, is signifi-
cant, and this signals the deepen-ing of the relationship between
Digicel and the agricultural sectoras a wholewe are going to usethis opportunity to ensure that we
move agriculture in Jamaica to thenext level, he stated.
Senator Grant said the JAS isseeking to diversify the Denbighshow, which started some 61
years ago.We are going to be going all
out to make this exciting product
the very best, he remarked. Theagreement represents $4 million
in cash value, and the remainderin marketing and promotionalsupport, including social media,
text promotion, mini board adver-tising, and signage for the showover the three years.
Sponsorship Manager for Digicel Jamaica, Tanida Nunes,presents President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society(JAS), Senator Norman Grant, with a representationalcheque for $30 million, signaling the telecommunicationscompany support for the Denbigh Agricultural Industrial andFood Show over the next three years.
Clarke to Probe Agro Invest Corporation
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NEWS
The Ministry of
Agriculture andFisheries, on Thurs-
day, May 9, signed an
agreement with CaribbeanBroilers to immediately
put 800 acres of land intosorghum production, at
Amity Hall in St. Cather-
ine.Planting began on Thurs-
day under the project,
which is among the firstinitiatives being under-
taken in the establishmentof the Ministrys flagship
Agro Parks concept.
Speaking at the signing
and post-Sectoral pressbriefing at the MinistrysHope Gardens location,
portfolio Minister, Hon.
Roger Clarke, said the col-laboration came about
after observing Caribbean
Broilers successful culti-vation of sorghum. The
company also neededmore land for production.
"The opportunity pre-
sented itself and we canprovide some of those
lands. Over the past few
weeks, we have done quitea lot of land preparation in
readiness for their begin-ning to sow the seeds al-
most immediately, he
explained.This is going to be a
real fillip to our being ableto substitute some of that
US$300 million that we
spend to bring ingrainsthis is going to be
able to make a dent in
that, Mr. Clarke asserted.Sorghum is one of a nu-
merous species of grasses,which is raised for grain
and many of which are
used as fodder plants.Basic infrastructure will
be put in by the Ministry,
such as drainage and irri-gation, with the land being
leased by Agro Invest Cor-poration, an agency of the
Ministry.
The Ministry will be im-plementing nine agro
parks over the next three
years at a cost of US$8million. The parks will
contribute to employment;increase agricultural out-
put; reduce the national
food import bill, and stim-
ulate food exports.
The project is beingfunded in part by the Euro-
pean Union, with the Agro
Investment Corporationand the National Irrigation
Commission providing in-
frastructure developmentand irrigation facilities, re-
spectively.Among the crops being
contemplated for produc-
tion include some 1,700acres of sorghum to reduce
grain imports for animal
feed, which is currentlyunderway.
Some 689 acres ofonions are to be planted
shortly, to reduce the im-
port bill for onions by ap-proximately 45 per cent.
Additionally, 550 acres oflegumes, vegetables, tu-
bers and condiments willbe cultivated.
In his contribution to the
2013/14 Sectoral Debate
in the House of Represen-tatives on May 8, Minister
Clarke noted that signifi-cant production activities
are already taking place at
New Forest/Duff Houseand Yallahs, as two new ir-
rigation schemes have
been completed for theseareas.
The value that theseagro parks will add is to
orientate production to de-
fined markets by linkingexisting farmers to private
sector buyers. This work iscurrently being done, and
therefore, for all intents
and purposes, these twoagro parks will come on
stream this year, Mr.
Clarke said.Agro Parks, targeted
specifically at import sub-stitution, are being devel-
oped through a tri-partite
partnership involving theGovernment, farmer/in-
vestors, and the private
sector.
Opposition spokesman on agri-
culture, JC Hutchinson has
criticised Agriculture Minis-
ter Roger Clarke for offering "nothingnew" in his recent sectoral debate con-
tribution.
"I was really expecting him to pres-
ent projects or programmes that were
not a carry over from the JLP (Ja-
maica Labour Party) Government,"
Hutchinson told the House of Repre-
sentatives Wednesday as he made hiscontribution to the debate.
"All the projects-- Irish potato, gin-
ger, turmeric, irrigation, sugar hous-
ing, Agro Parks, small ruminant,
fisheries --are all continuing projects
from either the former PNP (People's
National Party) Government or the
former JLP government. I congratu-
late him for continuing these projects,
but I was hoping for something more,"Hutchinson said.
He also accused the Government of
introducing counter-productive taxes,
which were inhibiting the growth po-
tential of the agricultural sector. He
said that General Consumption Tax
(GCT) and customs duties for agricul-
tural items have curtailed the ability
of farmers to access agricultural in-puts.
"The GCT and fees collected at theport, are much less than the foreign
exchange that would be earned and
the added production that would be
achieved, if they were removed,"
Hutchinson said.
He said that if recent increases inproperty taxes could not be delayed,
as the Opposition had demanded, the
Government should be implemented
over a five-year period.
Clarke offered nothing newHutchinson
JC HUTCHINSON
Agriculture MinistrySigns Agreement for
800 Acres of Sorghum
ROGER CLARKE
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The Spring Village DevelopmentFoundation, in St Catherine, was vis-
ited recently by Governor General
Patrick Allen and Lady Allen who presenteda $200,000 cheque to assist with the com-pletion of its I Believe Spring Village
Health Clinic. Spring Village was desig-nated last year as a "model for communitydevelopment" by the governor general's 'IBelieve Initiative'.
In addressing representatives of the com-munity and major sponsor of the founda-tion, the Jamaica Broilers Group - led by itschairman, Robert Levy - the governor gen-
eral commended the company for its sup-port of the projects carried out by the SpringVillage Foundation. "Jamaica Broilers not
only operates its Best Dressed Chicken pro-cessing plant in the area, but the companygives back to the community," he said.
In his remarks, executive director of theSpring Village Foundation, Randy Finnikin,said since the launch of the foundation 15years ago, the Jamaica Broilers Group hasbeen a consistent supporter of its pro-
grammes to empower residents. "The Ja-maica Broilers Group has been there for usfrom the beginning, until today with thishealth clinic," Finnikin said.
He noted that the governor general's I Be-lieve Initiative has also provided the SpringVillage Foundation complex with free Wi-
Fi access to benefit residents in the HumanEmployment And Resource Training
(HEART) Trust training programmes, after-
work and homework assistance, as well asto provide support for parenting and youth-empowerment sessions. In addition,
Finnkin said last year, the I Believe Initia-tive sponsored a Mr and Miss Spring Vil-lage pageant which engenderedcamaraderie among members of the com-
munity, and a parenting forum early thisyear.
The health clinic was primarily financedand constructed by a team of missionaries
from the Jamaica Missions of Minnesota,USA, who are experts in various areas ofthe construction industry. They workedmore than three months to convert four 40ft
containers into a useable space, comprisingthree examination rooms, a dental room,medical personnel offices, drug storeroom,a laboratory, a waiting room and a ramp for
wheelchair access.
The health centre was scheduled to beopened on May 1 and will be operated in
collaboration with the St Catherine HealthDepartment, which will provide the medicalpersonnel.
"This new clinic will have state-of-the-art
equipment to provide top-class, full-servicecare in mental, physical and dental healthon an ongoing basis. Our strategy is that asthe programme grows, residents who are in-
terested in learning skills in the medicalfield will be trained to support the servicesbeing offered at the facility," Finnikin said.
GG's 'I Believe' Gives $200,000
To Spring Village Clinic
BIG FEEDS GUYS:Technical field offiers of Nutramix Feeds (l-r) Balford Thomas, Patrick Fair-
weather and Ashley Huie pose for the camera at the recent St. Mary Agri ExpoShow held in Annotto Bay, St. Mary.
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The agricultural sector and in particular the
coconut industry has lost a true icon. Dr.
Richard Jones, a Veterinarian by profession,
joined the Coconut Industry Board as a Director in
1981. He first served as Chairman of the Board
during the period 1989 to 2007 and 2009 until his
passing on Marh 31, 2013.
Dr. Jones was a champion of the small farmer
and in his quiet, unassuming way he would spear-
head and drive initiatives that would seek to in-
crease the income earning potential and growth of
the farmer.
He was instrumental in the introduction of the
planting programmes under which coconut
seedlings, fertilizer and a weed control grant were
given by the Board to registered coconut growers.
Dr. Jones worked tirelessly and was always seek-
ing ways to improve the production of coconut in
the country. He felt that research was a vehicle
which could achieve this.
Under his chairmanship, work was done with the
University of the West Indies on the tissue culture
of coconuts and extensive research done on lethal
yellowing disease, in collaboration with the Com-
mon Fund for Commodities under the project en-
titled Sustainable Coconut Production throughcontrol of Coconut Lethal Yellowing.
How do you measure the stature of a man
Is it the food he eats or the friends he keeps
Is it the things he possesses or the colour of his skin
Its the legacy he leaves behind, the trails be
blazed, the standards that he set
That set him apart from the rest
COCONUT INDUSTRY BOARD18 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10
The Coconut Industry Salutes Dr. Richard A. Jones
DR RICHARDS JONES
NATIONAL IRRIGATION COMMISSION LIMITED
Making the Difference in Agriculture
The Board, Management and Staff of theNational Irrigation Commission Limited wishes to recognise the sterling contribution
of the late Dr. Richard Jones to the agricultural community during his career as
a veterinarian, farmer and scientist. His contribution to the coconut industry has laidthe foundation for future developments in the agricultural sector. In supporting this rich legacy,the National Irrigation Commission Limited remains committed to providing effective and efficient
irrigation services to our farmers for the further development of Jamaicas Agricultural Sector.
National Irrigation Commission Limited191 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6Tel.: (876) 977-4022/6727/6624
Fax: (876) 927-2696E-mail: [email protected]
Web-site: www.nicjamaica.com
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The management and staff atFred M . Jones Estate wishesto honor the legacyofDR. RICHARD JONES
The late Dr. Jones shall be remembered as an
extraordinary contributor to the develop-
ment of agriculture as he left an indelible
mark in numerous industries within the sector. De-
scribed as a man with extreme work ethic, as-
tounding kindness and humanitarian ideals much
gratitude is to be shown to his outstanding service
and contribution to Jamaican agriculture. His port-
folio included positions as Chairman of the Golden
Grove Sugar Company, Chairman and CEO of
Fred M. Jones Estate and Williamsfield Estate,
Chairman of the Coconut Industry Board, Vice
Chairman and Director at Seprod group of compa-
nies, Operator at Duckenfield factory as well as a
leading private farmer in cane and cattle. His char-
acter has influenced a vast number of people as
many bonds were formed within the agricultural
community in which he participated in for more
than 20 years and other close friends and familykeep his memory deeply embedded in their hearts.
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die,
-Thomas Campbell
FRED M. JONES ESTATEHordley Cross Roads,
Golden Grove P.O. St. Thomas
9822744
A GIANT OF THESUGAR INDUSTRY
The Sugar Industry Authority takes this opportunity to salute a
giant of the Sugar Industry.
It is not widely known that Dr. Richard Jones was, in fact, for
many years the largest cane farmer in Jamaica and had become a
director of the Golden Grove Sugar Factory.
This mild mannered, well-loved Jamaican, up to a few weeks be-
fore his passing was still pursuing pressing issues in the
interest of the industry.
We shall miss him and his wise counsel and would wish to extend
condolences to his family.
SUGAR INDUSTRY AUTHORITY
By Alessandro Boyd
Courtesy of the Gleaner
Jamaica has lost an important icon
in its agricultural sector with
March 31 death of Dr Richard
Jones. He was 73.
Jones held a number of positions
throughout the agricultural community
such as board chairman of the Golden
Grove Sugar Company, chairman of
the Fred M. Jones Estate and operator
of the Duckenfield factory.
Dr Karl Wellington, a director of theJamaica Livestock Association who
knew Jones for more than 50 years,
stressed the important role he played in
the agricultural industry.
"He has made an outstanding contri-
bution to Jamaica's agriculture. I per-
sonally recognise him as one of the
leading cattle breeders in Jamaica start-
ing from the youthful days when he
represented Jamaica in cattle judging
at the royal agriculture show in Eng-
land. He also served as a judge at the
National Denbigh Show almost every
year," Wellington told The Gleaner.
He also noted that Jones was one of
the most faithful and reliable members
of the Jamaican Red Poll Cattle Breed-ers Society.
"Apart from the cattle business with
which I was so closely associated, he
was also chairman of the Coconut
Growers' Association and one of the
largest private cane farmers in Ja-
maica. He has done something excel-
lent for agriculture commercially in
Jamaica. We have to give thanks for
his service and the friendship that we
shared," Wellington said.
Nicholas Jones also commented on
the kindness of his uncle (Richard
Jones) and the pivotal role he played in
his life."He was a very generous person,
quick-witted, kind, gracious and had
the ability to laugh at all times, even at
himself. He was also a great judge of
livestock and was someone who had
learnt to be in sync with the timeliness
that is involved with agriculture,"
Nicholas said.
DR RICHARD JONESGenerous, Quick-Witted, Kind, Gracious
The late
Dr Richard Jones
He was 73.
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By Emilio Godoy
MEXICO CITY (IPS) -
The Food and Agriculture Or-
ganisations recommenda-tion to consider using edible
insects as a food source to combat
hunger may have particular reper-
cussions in Colombia and Mexico,
two Latin American countries thathave a tradition of eating insects
and a high degree of biodiversity.
Mexico has 300 edible insect
species, according to a study pub-
lished in May by the entomology
department of Wageningen Uni-
versity in the Netherlands and the
Food and Agriculture Organisation
of the United Nations (FAO), titled
Edible insects: Future prospects
for food and feed security.
But local researchers have iden-tified more than 500 species in the
centre, south and southeast of Mex-
ico, a mega-biodiverse country
with a poverty rate of 47 percent.
Insects are a viable, cheap
source of high quality food that
could be even better than the pack-
aged foods that are consumed at
present, researcher Julieta Ramos-
Elorduy, at the National Au-
tonomous University of Mexicos
Biology Institute, told IPS.In her view, This country is
ready for mass consumption of in-
sects, but people need education
about techniques and ways of mar-
keting them. Protecting them is not
a concern. There are no official
measures, said the expert, who
has been carrying out research
since the 1970s on the benefits of
insects, and has reported 549 edi-
ble species.The issue acquires an environ-
mental dimension, particularly on
International Day for Biological
Diversity, celebrated this Wednes-
day May 22.
Eating insects or entomophagy is
an indigenous tradition in Mexico,
attested to by the Florentine Codex,
written by Franciscan friar
Bernardino de Sahagn (1499-
1590) who described the consump-
tion of 96 species.
Some insects provide up to three
times more protein, weight for
weight, than beef, and their nutri-
ent concentrations are surpassedonly by fish, according to the Na-
tional Commission for Knowledge
and Use of BiodiversityThe Mexican insect menu is
made up of blood-sucking bugs,
worms, beetles, butterflies, ant and
fly larvae, bees, wasps and cha-
pulin grasshoppers. They can be
grilled, fried or served with differ-
ent kinds of sauces.
In recent decades, several of
these delicacies have vaulted from
kitchens in poor rural homes to ta-
bles in fancy restaurants.In Mitla, a town close to a Za-
potec archaeological site of the
same name in the southern state of
Oaxaca, a small business uses
moth larvae (Hypopta agavis) that
feed on American aloe leaves to
make a hot spicy salt to accompany
mescal, an alcoholic drink distilled
from the same aloe plant.
We follow a homemade recipe.
Grinding is done by hand and we
use a hand mixer. We also packageby hand, Diana Corona, the com-
mercial manager of the firm Gran
Mitla which produces 300 kilo-
grams of sal de gusano (larva
salt) a month, told IPS.
It takes 300 grams of ground lar-
vae, 300 grams of dry chili peppers
and 400 grams of salt to produce
one kilo.The larvae or worms are col-
lected from August to October and
frozen to ensure continuous pro-duction, as from November to the
following May harvesting is
banned throughout the country.
The FAO publication says that
more than 1,900 species are part of
the traditional diets of at least two
billion people worldwide. The
favourites are beetles, caterpillars,
bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, lo-
custs and crickets.
Collecting and farming insects
could create jobs and income, andcould have industrial-scale poten-
tial, the authors say.
By Patricia Grogg
HAVANA (IPS) - When GabrielaBlanco tells other Cubans that
she works in an organic veg-etable cooperative and is getting
ready to study agronomy at the
university, she gets surprisedlooks.
She is not sure where her voca-
tion came from, but she doesknow that this is what she wants
to do. In Cuba, which is seekingto boost agricultural yields, there
is a scarcity of young people
working in the sector.
Blanco, a petite 20-year-old,
dropped her math studies aftertwo years to try her hand at the
Vivero Alamar, a successful agri-cultural cooperative in Havana
that operates as a Basic Unit of
Cooperative Production.I began working here in Sep-
tember 2012; in three months
they made me a member of thecooperative. I realised that I re-
ally like it and I want to stayhere. The agricultural sector has
lots of possibilities and many
fields of investigation; its a very
interesting and lovely experi-
ence, she told IPS.Mercedes Cepero, 18, has had
a similar experience, althoughshe came to this cooperative to
fulfil her professional training re-
quirement as an agronomy tech-nician. Ive passed the student
stage, and now I have to get
trained and learn as a worker. Iused to think that agronomy was
just working with a hoe in thesun, but I was wrong, she told
IPS.
Cuban Agriculture Needs Young PeopleInsects, from Delicacy
to Tool against Hunger
Toasted grasshoppers on sale in the Benito Jurez market inthe capital of Oaxaca state, Mexico. Credit: Nsaum75
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AgroFest 2013 sets for May 25
Plans are in high gear for
the staging of the annual
agricultural and industrial
show, 'Agrofest' scheduled to be
held on Saturday, May 25 on the
Jamaica College Grounds on
Old Hope Road, Kingston 6.
The annual parish agricultural
and food show features agricul-
tural and horticultural exhibits
from Kingston and St Andrew.
This year's show will also fea-
ture a farmers' market, farm
queen competition, Guards-
man's canine display, mounted
police, kiddies' village and a va-
riety of entertainment for the
whole family.
"These are all signs that tell us
that while there are challenges,
the exciting opportunities in
agriculture and the ability to
provide linkages with tourism,
manufacturing and the export
sector can realise real growth
for the Jamaican economy," he
told Saturday's launch of the17th staging of AgroFest 2013
at the JAS head office, Church
Street in downtown Kingston.
He said that agriculture is the
"life blood" of Jamaica's eco-
nomic development, and pre-
dicted that with the support
being provided in the 2013/14
budget for the Ministry of Agri-
culture, Jamaica can start a
meaningful journey to becom-
ing "the place of choice to live
do business and raise families ".
Kingston and St Andrew As-
sociation of JAS Branch Soci-eties in association with the
Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries, stages the annual
Agricultural and Industrial
Show, 'Agrofest.'
Food import bill
could skyrocket
Jamaica's food import bill,
may be impacted once again
this year, by higher priced
wheat due to acts of nature.
The news came as a record
freeze in wheat growing areas
caused extensive crop damage and
this is expected to push prices
higher later this year.The coldest start ever to the
wheat-growing season in Kansas
and freezing weather across the
U.S. southern Great Plains are
compounding damage to U.S.
crops already hurt by last years
drought, which was the worst
since the 1930s.
Norman Grant
JAS President
There is evidence that, especially
in recent years, poor smallholder
farmers are turning to agro forestry
as a means to adapt to the impacts
of climate change. The trees help to
mitigate the effects of climate
change by helping to stabilize ero-
sion, improving water and soil
quality and providing yields of
fruit, tea, coffee, oil, fodder and
medicinal products in addition to
their usual harvest.
Agro forestry is one of the most
widely used adaptation strategies.
It is an integrated approach of
using the interactive benefits from
combining trees and shrubs with
crops and/or livestock. It combinesagricultural and forestry technolo-
gies to create more diverse, pro-
ductive, profitable, healthy, and
sustainable land-use systems. A
narrow definition of agro forestry
is "trees on farms.
Plants under trees can still grow
well even though they get less
light. By having more than one
level of vegetation, it is possible to
get more photosynthesis than with
a single layer. Agro forestry has a
lot in common with intercropping.
Both have two or more plant
species (such as nitrogen fixing
plants) in close interaction both
provide multiple outputs, as a con-
sequence, higher overall yields
and, because a single application or
input is shared, costs are reduced.
Beyond these, there are gains
specific to agro forestry.
Agro forestry systems can be ad-
vantageous over conventional agri-
cultural, and forest production
methods.
They can offer increased produc-
tivity, economic benefits, and more
diversity in the ecological goods
and services provided.
Biodiversity in agro forestry sys-
tems is typically higher than in
conventional agricultural systems.
With two or more interacting
plant species in a given land area, itcreates a more complex habitat that
can support a wider variety of
birds, insects, and other animals.
Depending upon the application,
potential impacts of agro forestry
can include:
Reducing poverty through in-
creased production of wood and
other tree products for home con-
sumption and sale
Contributing to food security by
restoring the soil fertility for food
crops
Cleaner water through reduced
nutrient and soil runoff
Countering global warming and
the risk of hunger by increasing the
number of drought-resistant trees
and the subsequent production offruit
Reducing deforestation and pres-
sure on woodlands by providing
farm-grown fuel wood
Reducing or eliminating the need
for toxic chemicals
Through more diverse farm out-
puts, improved human nutrition in
situations where people have lim-
ited access to mainstream medi-
cines, providing growing space for
medicinal plants
Agro forestry practices may also
realize a number of other associ-
ated environmental goals, such as:
Carbon sequestration
Odour, dust, and noise reduction
Green space and visual aesthetics
Enhancement or maintenance of
wildlife habitat
Agro forestry is an opportunity
for farmers to protect their crops
and improve their yields while con-
tributing to the protection and care
of the environment.
If you are interested incorporat-
ing agro forestry techniques on
your farm, contact the Forestry De-
partment for technical information.
Agro Forestry-balancingFarms and Forests
A
s research continues to examine ways to combat the effects of
climate change, agro forestry is emerging as one of the methods
being used by farmers to reduce its impact on their crops.
_____________________________
Forestry Department
173 Constant Spring Road,
Kingston 8
Email: [email protected]
www.forestry.gov.jm
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ECKLONIA KELP PLANT STIMULANT Kelp Plus Fish Emulsion Fertilizer
For more info and to order your products: Tel: 390-5382; 328-0027 or Email:[email protected]
The Veterinary ServicesDivision of the Ministryof Agriculture and Fish-
eries has been informed by theManagement of Hi-Pro FeedMills that they have issued a re-
call of the following batches ofhorse feed.1) Feed Type: 9726-2 STABLE
CHOICE WITH OATS; Dateof Manufacture: April 24, 2013;Batch No 425
2) Feed Type: 9726-2 STA-BLE CHOICE; Date of Manu-
facture: May 6, 2013; Batch No079
Individuals who may have pur-chased any of the abovemen-tioned feed should immediately
stop using the feed and to makecontact with their feed supplier.
PESTICIDE TALK: (l-r) Pat Rose , T. Geddes Grant, NormanGrant, JAS president and Omer Thomas, agriculturalist at the re-cent St Mary Agri Expo held in Annotto Bay.
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING:Eric Williams, Hi Pro Feeds technical sales representative (4th l), Donald Robinson, RADA Man-chester manager 5th l) along with other technical staff at the Hi Pro booth at the recent St Mary AgriExpo held in Annotto Bay.
Hi-Pro Feed Mills issuesrecall of horse feed
The government of Jamaica is to make an an-nouncement soon regarding the divestment of the
Wallenford Coffee Factory. In his contribution to the
Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Wednesday, RogerClarke, Minister of Agriculture, said the government
was close to concluding an agreement with a privateentity for the divestment.
The divestment of Wallenford is a critical part of
governments strategy to bring new investments, ad-ditional working capital and market diversification.
We are at the cusp of concluding an agreement with
a private sector entity for the divestment of Wallen-ford. An announcement will be made in short order,
said Mr. Clarke.
He said the coffee sector suffered a setback lastyear with the outbreak of the leaf rust disease and
Hurricane Sandy which resulted in a decline in pro-duction.
Wallenford CoffeeFactory to be divested
Book your adverttoday.. 923-7471
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Leptospirosis
in dogs
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by
spiral shaped bacteria called lep-
tospires. It occurs worldwide and
can affect humans as well as many wild
and domestic animals, including dogs and
cats, although infection in cats is rare).
The bacteria are spread through the urineof infected animals, which can get into
water or soil and can survive there for
weeks to months.
Humans and animals can become in-
fected through contact with this contami-
nated urine. The bacteria can enter the body
through skin, eyes, nose, or mouth, espe-
cially if the skin is broken from a cut or
scratch. Drinking contaminated water can
also cause infection.
If your pet has become infected, it most
likely came into contact with rat urine.
Your pet may have been drinking, or walk-
ing through contaminated water.
The clinical signs of leptospirosis vary
and are nonspecific. Sometimes pets do not
have any symptoms. Common clinicalsigns reported in dogs include fever, vom-
iting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, refusal to
eat, severe weakness and depression, stiff-
ness, or severe muscle pain. Generally
younger animals are more seriously af-
fected than older animals.
If you suspect your pet is infected, get
help immediately. The JSPCA can perform
tests to detect the presence of leptospirosis
in your pet, and will prescribe antibiotics.
The earlier treatment is begun the better
the chances of full and rapid recovery, and
any organ damage may be less severe.
General ConsiderationsConsult your vet when your pet has an
open wound. NEVER use Jeyes fluid or
other disinfectants on a dogs fur. These
are chemicals that burn like acid, and can
cause severe injury and intense pain.
On the road an animal is a traffic hazard,
and your pet may be injured by a vehicle.
Make sure you keep him on your property.
Train your pet with firmness and gentle-ness, and you will have a loyal protector.
Use praise and rewards, not punishments,
as your training tools, and never beat or
stone an animal, whether yours or anyone
elses. Cruelty is not only morally wrong,
it is against the law, and carries penalties!
Pet CareM
uch is being written, in this
newspaper and elsewhere, con-
cerning the loss-making Ja-maican pig/pork industry.
One such story Pork Pitfall: Re-
searchers lament plunging pork price,not
only captured the true state of the livestocksub-sector but also cited yet another studyconducted on the industry.
A number of such studies have be previ-
ously conducted still the industry remainsin near disastrous predicament.
The article highlighted the high price of
feed, high mortality rate among pre-wean-ers, and the inadequate conversion of pork
into differentiated products.These are also among the major chal-
lenges of the Jamaican agricultural sector.
An evaluation of the industry was done10 years ago which proposed an adoptable,
sustainable development plan for pig farm-ing that would, by a disciplined approach,
address the perennial problems facing the
industry.Prepared in October 2003 by the late Dr.
Aston S. Wood and a team knowledgeable
of pig production, the Development Planproposed an integrated approach to pig
management that would not only bringorder to the sector but also position the in-
dustry toward sustained profitability.
Solutions presented in the FAO spon-sored document, Development Plan for
an Integrated Pig/Pork Industry for the
Ministry of Agriculture (2003), amongother points, suggests, the registration of
pig growers and the rationalization of a re-liable sow herd population.
The establishment of a standardized hus-
bandry practice, carcass grading and qual-
ity standard.Growers would be grouped into breed-
ers, multipliers and finishing to facilitate
the proposed three-breed, three-way cross
breeding program.
Crossbreed (F1) sows show good moth-
ering ability and Three-way (F2) crossedfinishing pigs grow faster, reach market
weight sooner (higher daily gain), exhibitsuperior feed conversion (less feed) and
improvement in lean meat quality.
Also, the Wood plan recognizes the in-creasingly high cost of commercial feeds
(70% of production cost) and suggests the
development of better economic produc-tion rations either from conventional or
non conventional resources.Improveing the genetics of national
breeding stock and the establishment of a
standard breeding program in tandem withproper herd management is the road to fix-
ing the problem of high piglet/weaner mor-tality, low daily gain and poor feed
conversion of finisher pigs.
Stakeholders, including the Ministry ofAgriculture, need to study the Aston Wood
recommendations with a view to adapting
the stepwise procedures to methodicallyimprove productive performance and ,con-
sequently, the fortune of pig growers.A manual has already been developed
and published as a training guide into farm
management and record keeping, no needfor the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association
(JPFA) to reinvent the wheel.
--------------------------------------------------
Claude Wilson is the author of the bookletsHusbandry Tips for Caribbean Pig Farms and
Guide To Feeding & Management of Pigs
Look Out
For 2013
Book youradvert [email protected]
Fixing the problems of
Jamaican pig industry
ByClaude
1. Be present at farrowing.
2. Assist the sow only if it becomes neces-
sary.
3. Provide warmth of 27-32C (80-90F)
and ensure that piglets get the first milk of
the sow (colostrum).
4. Clip the needle teeth, cut navel cord andswab with a mild antiseptic (iodine). Ad-
minister 1cc of an iron supplement as the
piglets are usually born with low levels of
iron. Pigs should be weighing 1.4 kg (3 lbs)
at birth.
5. Mark the piglets according to the farms
system of identification.
6. Castrate males that will not be used in the
breeding programme at 14-21 days old.
7. Introduce a small quantity of Hi-Pro Pig
Starter as a creep feed at 14days old. Pig
should weigh 5.0 kg (11 lbs) at this stage.
8. Wean at 6 weeks. Target weight 9.0 kg
(20 lbs)
9. Vaccinate against Swine Erysipelas at 7
weeks.
General tips
The infection pressure or the level of dis-ease-causing organisms is relatively
high in the environment of a pig farm. Good
management will reduce both
the infectious and non-infectious agents of
disease.
In this case, the farmer should:
1. Feed regularly with good quality, well-
balanced Hi-Pro Feed.
2. Provide an adequate supply of cool, clean
drinking water.
3. Maintain proper sanitation in the environ-
ment of the pig house.
4. Reduce factors that cause stress.
5. Prevent overcrowding.
6. Reduce draftiness while providing good
air circulation within the pighouse.
Management of piglets
from birth to weaning
Jamaican Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animal
929-0320: [email protected]
www.jspca.info
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WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM MAY 2013 THE AGRICULTURALIST 15
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16 THE AGRICULTURALIST MAY 2013 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM