Hugh Martin Every single crop in Jamaica is in trouble, every single one. There is none that you can say is not in trouble and this is the first time we've ever encountered anything like that". Edward Seaga, The Gleaner, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002.
HARDLY ANYONE, including Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke, can seriously disagree with Opposition Leader Eddie Seaga's claim above if the word 'major' is used to replace the first 'single' in the opening sentence. The major crops refer to our traditional exports; sugar, bananas, citrus, cocoa, pimento and coconuts. There is no doubt that each one of these has been in some sort of trouble in recent times.
Sugar production is well below market requirements and is achieved at horrendously high costs. Banana has been the victim of globalisation that has all but removed our preferential market. Citrus has been severely affected by the Tristeza Virus while cocoa and pimento have declined as a result of farmers' loss of interest in a low-priced commodity. Coconut, like citrus, is also affected by a devastating disease, Lethal Yellowing.
There is a somewhat different picture, however, when we look at some of our non-traditional export crops such as yam, dasheen and a variety of spices and condiments. And then there is ackee, which finally got the green light a couple of years ago to once again enter the United States. These are crops that are doing very well in carving out a niche for themselves in Europe and North America and in some cases growing by leaps if not bounds. Yam exports in 1995 for example totalled 3,525,400 kgs but by 2000 rose to 9,440,120 kgs. Dasheen exports in 1998 amounted to 1,264,408 kgs and increased to 3,808,964 kgs in 2000. The figures for 2001 were not available from the Agricultural Export complex but the monthly figures for the current year indicate that the upward trend is continuing.
In the case of other non-traditional crops like papaya and pepper the situation is one of fluctuation. Papaya is definitely in trouble due to the ring spot disease which has literally removed production from most of the parishes in which it once flourished, such as St. Thomas, St Mary, St. Catherine and Clarendon. The only parish that is still exporting papaya is Trelawny. In the meanwhile, research work continues to develop a disease-resistant variety through genetic engineering.
The Black Sigatoka disease has virtually killed the export of plantains and until a resistant variety is developed it will be a very costly exercise to keep it in check. Black Sigatoka was partially responsible for many small banana growers dropping out of the export trade as it became difficult for them to meet the quality requirements. Hot pepper exports have been seriously affected by the attack of a tiny insect. To gain entry into the US it requires fumigation with a chemical, and pesticide residue levels that satisfy the requirements of the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA).
Clearly, the future of Agriculture lies not so much in pursuing the traditional crops, markets and marketing arrangements, but in seeking to diversify our products while improving our production efficiencies. Much of the problems with our crops have to do with the slowness with which we adopt improved and efficient methods of production. But equally, a lot of it is due to factors, such as those described above, over which we have very little or no control.
VERY FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVES
Which leads me, somewhat circuitously, to the topic of this column. The alternative measures, crops, products that we need to adopt and adapt to ensure the future of agriculture. The recent Denbigh Show with its theme, "Meeting the Global Challenge through Technology in Agriculture" attempted to deal with that issue as part of its Youth in Agriculture feature. In having noted scientist Dr. Henry Lowe address the young Jamaicans at the President's luncheon, the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) demonstrated that it at least understood the need for a new and creative approach to the business of agriculture in the 21st century.
Dr. Lowe's presentation surprisingly passed unnoticed by the news media. It deserved better than that if for no other reason than the fact that it provided a fresh and informed assessment of the state of the agricultural sector. But even more critical it outlined some very feasible alternatives to the traditional areas of focus that could create tremendous opportunities for small farmers and entrepreneurs and lead to the much desired and talked about sustainable rural development.
Starting from the premise that globalisation is more than just a trend and is in fact a fundamental change in the way countries and the world in general do business, Dr. Lowe suggested that it is an imperative that we adopt a more diversified and value-added industry to underpin a more durable economy. He then pointed to three emerging areas namely; nutraceuticals and functional foods, the potential of herbal and medicinal plants, and biotechnology.
Functional foods are those that possess special health benefits in addition to providing basic nutrients and nutritional benefits. Nutraceuticals on the other hand, are extracted, concentrated or purified food derivatives and include dietary supplements, sugar substitutes, fat substitutes, fibre-enriched foods, low-calorie diets and so on.
According to Dr. Lowe, it is estimated that the market for nutraceuticals and functional foods exceeds US$100 billion worldwide. Products in this grouping already grown in Jamaica include ginger, turmeric, black pepper, sugar cane, (yes, sugar cane) and pimento as primary products for development. The major by-products that can be exploited in a big way, he suggested, include essential oils, tinctures; exotic drinks and teas as well as the development of novel processes for the extraction, isolation and purification of products, flavours, aromas, colorants and materials for the enhancement of food antioxidant capacity.
Clearly, the foundation is already firmly laid. All that is needed now is the will and determination to take it from there. In another instalment we'll look at the rest of Dr. Lowe's proposal.
Hugh Martin is a communications specialist and farm broadcaster. E-mail: humar@cwjamaica.com
