- Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
Opposition spokesman on agriculture, J.C. Hutchinson (right), making a point at Wednesday's Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) board meeting, while JAS president A.A. Bobby Pottinger (left) talks to Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, and Minister of State Errol Ennis.
JAMAICA AGRICULTURAL Society president, A.A. Bobby Pottinger, says that the sector has the capacity to create over 60,000 new jobs, and "remove idle hands from street corners."
Mr. Pottinger made the comment as he welcomed Minister of Agriculture Roger Clarke and Minister of State Errol Ennis to Wednesday's board meeting, which was also attended by Opposition spokesman on agriculture, J.C. Hutchinson.
The following is Mr. Pottinger's statement to the meeting:
"I am especially pleased that our Hon. Minister is able to spend some time with us today, as we want him to know how serious and committed we are in our efforts to move this sector forward. We in the agricultural sector plan to play a major role in the government's thrust to empower the citizens to move forward and to create economic development and wealth for all.
"Let us not fool ourselves, this country cannot move forward, unless serious attention is paid to organising the assets and people (farmers, processors, and marketers) within the sector. We have never been able to properly qualify the true GDP contribution, and we need to do this as a matter of urgency, in order to properly plan for growth and development.
"At the moment, we can say that agriculture is the largest employer of labour, the major user of land, the third largest earner of foreign exchange, but we have the potential for so much more. We must be talking about food security, developing more agro processing facilities to create value added and to motivate our young people so that they can see the opportunities which exist for their development within the agricultural sector.
"We, as farmers must therefore find creative ways to improve production, and we must insist that the government provides the right environment to facilitate this thrust forward.
"This sector has the capacity to create over 60,000 new jobs and therefore remove idle hands from street corners. We must find a way to keep young men and women in the rural communities actively employed in productive endeavours. We have the means to move from being "a trader's paradise" to 'a productive and industrious nation.'
"We already have a model, don't we minister? - Look at South St. Elizabeth. This type of industrious attitude must be translated islandwide, we can do it, we must do it. The Jamaica Agricultural Society, with its community base structure, working in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and RADA can spearhead this initiative.
" A 'ray of hope' - the soon to be fully implemented praedial larceny initiative, will significantly reduce farmers losses and put more money in the pockets of those who have laboured long and hard. This new initiative will have a very positive impact on farmers in 2003. It is anticipated that with this new measure in place, we will be able to attract those disenchanted farmers who left the vocation in frustration to come back, as well as encourage the young ones, leaving agricultural based institution to stay, and be a part of the crusade for the development of this vital sector. We are presently finalising the arrangements to launch the programme, so you will all be fully briefed shortly.
"I wish to take this opportunity to say how good it is to see you all here today and to let you know that we propose to make this a monthly event when the professional groups in agriculture, along with the community boards, will meet to inform ourselves on what is happening, to exchange ideas and to present a united approach as we move forward."
