Friday, October 03, 2008
(L-R) Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture representative in Jamaica, Cynthia Currie; permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Donovan Stanberry; and Dr Dunstan Campbell, Food and Agriculture Organisation representative in Jamaica, field questions at Tuesday's launch of World Food Day at the ministry's Hope Road, Kingston headquarters. (Photo: Bryan Cummings) Only 39 per cent of the foodstuff that is consumed in the island is locally produced, pushing the country's food import bill over $662 million and threatening the success of government's "eat what you grow, grow what you eat" drive.
"Sixty-one per cent of products in the food basket are import-based," Donovan Stanberry, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture said Tuesday, adding that Jamaica's food bill was rising at an alarming rate, standing at $479 million in 2002 and climbing to $662m in November 2007.
"This is a major statement on our level of dependency, hence our vulnerability to external shocks," said Stanberry.
He was speaking at the launch of World Food Day at the agriculture ministry on Hope Road in Kingston.
World Food Day will be observed October 16 under the theme 'World Food Security: The Challenge of Climate Change and Bioenergy'.
"Given the prospects of continuing increases in prices, we (Jamaica) must attempt to reduce dependence on imports for consumption," Stanberry warned.
According to Stanberry, the "frightening" situation has led the agriculture ministry, through the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA), to implement several strategies to stimulate local production.
He said that greenhouse clusters are being established to significantly increase production of fruits and vegetables that will consistently produce "what the market requires".
Focus is also being placed on the production of tubers, Stanberry said, and meetings have been held with yam farmers and the Irish potato growers' association.
An increase in the numbers, and improved training for agriculture extension officers was also critical, said Stanberry, who added that overseas training of additional officers was being conducted.
He added that a revitalisation of the dairy industry, through the disbursement of loans to dairy farmers was under way.
"We are providing loans to increase pasture and improve our breed and undertake rapid multiplication," Stanberry said. "People are taking up the loans," he added.
Stanberry, however, charged that food security was more than simply producing food.
"We have to build infrastructure, increase the number of extension officers and improve the marketing and distribution network," said Stanberry. "That's why we have been improving RADA."
He added that the ministry would also be promoting the food security programme in schools, and plans to have 900 school gardens in three years to "lay the foundation for a sustainable programme".
The permanent secretary declared that while many people frowned on government's backyard garden kits as a gimmick, empirical evidence proved that planting the items in the kit could save as much as $12,000 per year in food bills.
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