THE continuing decline in the levels of production of the major agricultural exports has led understandably to some concern about the viability of the sector. Once considered the backbone of the economy contributing as much as 30 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the agricultural sector has steadily lost its premier position, first to the bauxite industry and later to tourism.This in itself is neither surprising nor undesirable in an era of rapid technological development and a broadening of options including manufacturing, entertainment and more recently information technology. In fact, up until the late '90s Agriculture managed to record continuous positive growth when most other sectors were in decline. That is hardly the case today as all the major export crops: sugar, banana, coffee, citrus and cocoa have failed to achieve the levels of production that are necessary to meet market demands or to return a reasonable profit to producers. It is quite probable that investors have shied away because of the threats to the preferential market arrangements occasioned firstly by the liberalisation of the economy in 1991 and more recently by the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
These two events have caught the sector unprepared for the competition offered by the more technologically advanced countries or those which had the foresight to make the necessary changes in time. Still, it is not enough to speak about the death of agriculture and the search for alternatives. Not one of the developed countries has abandoned its farming sector. Rather, most have restructured them, made them more efficient and in some cases have even subsidised them.
Our supermarkets and green groceries, awash with farm produce from the United States, is eloquent evidence of this. Jamaica cannot afford to neglect its agricultural sector, for to do so is to put its food security at risk. A total dependence on food imports puts a nation in peril in times of international hostilities or other such crises. The effect on tourism and other areas of the economy as a result of the September 11 disaster in the United States is a prime example. We believe that in spite of the imminent changes in the international market arrangements, Jamaica can achieve the efficiency and the standards of quality required to make it competitive. But the necessary investment of capital and will must be made.
The Government must lead by providing the environment and the encouragement but it is ultimately the boldness and the entrepreneurial creativity of the private sector that will make this a reality. We already have great examples of this in companies such as Jamaica Broilers, Wray & Nephew and Grace, Kennedy, which have demonstrated their faith in the sector by upgrading and restructuring their organisations and plants to international standards.
The Government too must be commended for its effort to rebuild the dairy, coffee, citrus and sugar industries. Co-operation between public and private sectors is what is needed to bring agriculture back to viability.
