Hugh Martin
THE FIVE-YEAR Citrus Replanting Project of the Ministry of Agriculture is now in its sixth year; and it has another 15 months to go. If this seems a little strange to you then you don't want to read any further because the rest of the information is even stranger.
When the Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV) was discovered in Jamaica just under two decades ago everyone who understood how deadly this disease was saw it as the end of the industry. This was because that was the experience of all the other countries where the disease appeared as there is no known cure for the virus. The only hope for the industry was that there are varieties resistant to the disease so only the susceptible ones would succumb.
SLOW START
Unfortunately, the entire Jamaican industry was built on a rootstock that was susceptible, so it was just a matter of time before every plant would die. By 2001, enough of the plants were dying to push the Government into starting a replanting programme that would see the production of certified resistant seedlings from imported rootstock and the provision of assistance to farmers by way of soft loans. The funds to carry out this project amounted to some US$20 million and were raised primarily from the Caribbean Development Bank and the Development Bank of Jamaica.
The replanting project was launched in March 2001 with much fanfare, but by December of that year, only one loan had been taken up by one large grower.
Farmers stayed away in droves, first of all because they felt the 11 per cent interest was much too high for a crop that takes up to six years to come into economic production. When the Minister of Finance accepted their reasoning and lowered the rate to nine per cent, however, some claimed the loan terms set by the lending agencies (PC banks for small farmers, and commercial banks and DBJ for large-sized farms) were too onerous. The small growers objected to the demand by the PC banks for a land title as collateral which must be accompanied by a recent valuation. Many chose to finance the replanting from their meagre resources, while others decided to let the trees die without replacing them.
MINISTER NOT PLEASED
In addition, many of the farmers did not possess titles to the land they farm and were therefore unable to provide the required security. All of this contributed to the slow pace of the programme.
Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke was clearly not very happy with the progress of the project as he avoided any mention of it in his December overview of the ministry's performance last year. Only when pressed did he admit that the project was continuing at a disappointingly slow pace. Indeed, so slowly were the funds being taken up that some US$4 million was returned to the lenders to reduce interest charges on idle money and the project life was extended for another year to come to an end in December 2006.
What is even more disturbing is the fact that the 2,283 hectares of citrus orchards that were targeted to be replanted had to be reduced to 1,556 hectares. Currently, less than 1,000 hectares have been replanted and most of it was by large growers and estates. Interestingly though, many of the smaller growers have not bothered to replant as their trees have either not yet shown any sign of the disease, or where they have, it has not affected production to any great extent.
This is cold comfort to the authorities as they are aware that sometimes diseases don't work as fast in some climates as others but that in the end the full effects will be felt in the yields. Where replanting has taken place, the farmers are already realising increased returns from those trees that have started to produce. It is these farmers that the project is expecting to take up the remaining US$3 million to ensure that there is enough acreage to supply the country with some of its requirements for fresh orange juice.
Hugh Martin is a communication consultant and farm broadcaster at humar@cwjamaica.com.
