Several acres of coffee growing on the slopes of the Blue Mountains. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Despite the challenges posed by globalisation and the erosion of preferential access to overseas markets, the country's traditional export crops "held its own" last year, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Roger Clarke.

Minister Clarke, who was addressing an end-of-year press conference at his Hope Gardens offices in St. Andrew on December 28, said sugar cane production during the 2005/2006-crop year improved to 1.7 million tonnes, representing an increase of some 400,000 tonnes over the period following the passage of Hurricane Ivan. Production for the 2006/07 cane crop was estimated at 1.8 million tonnes.

He noted that as part of efforts to address the problems that have beleaguered the industry for years, the Ministry had put in place the necessary financing and management strategies to ensure the success of the current crop.

"Given the proposed price cut by the European Union of 36 per cent over four years, commencing with a five per cent reduction in June 2006, we are cognisant of the need to infuse a substantial amount of capital to modernise the industry, improve productivity and diversify the product base. It is for this reason that we have embarked on a course of privatisation, and this process is progressing apace," the Minister stated.

Cocoa production

In the meantime, cocoa production between October 2005 and September 2006, totalled some 238 tonnes, valued at $15.2 million. Minister Clarke noted that during the first three months of the new crop year (October to December 2006) production totalled 434 tonnes valued at $49.5 million. This represented an 82 per cent increase over the previous year's total of 238 tonnes.

The Agriculture Minister attributed the growth to an increase in support services and the improved farm gate price paid for cocoa, which was increased by 100 per cent during the year in review.

Turning to coffee, he said the industry experienced "better than expected" output during the year as a result of the provisional funding of $60 million and an additional $40 million in grant aid that was provided by the government in August.

Minister Clarke said during the August 2005 to July 2006 crop year, Blue Mountain coffee production increased by 62 per cent. However, this did not extend to lowland coffee production, which suffered a 20 per cent decline.

Blue Mountain coffee

Between August and November, Blue Mountain coffee production increased by 17 per cent while lowland coffee production declined a further 24 per cent.

Banana production improved significantly last year when compared with the previous year when the industry suffered from the effects of Hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Dennis and Emily in 2005.

Minister Clarke noted that the industry produced an estimated 32,500 tonnes of banana valued at US$23.1 million.

Senator Norman Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, said the agricultural sector has done better than expected and farmers should be recognised for their resilience and hard work.

He noted that the sector grew 23 per cent in the first quarter of the year when compared with the same period last year, moving production from approximately 96,000 tonnes to over 118,000 tonnes. This continued in the second quarter when the sector grew 30.6 per cent and a further 9.2 per cent in the third quarter.

The JAS president is forecasting a further 10 per cent growth for the last quarter of the year. He attributed the turnaround in the agricultural sector to a "cocktail mixture of stakeholder partnership and government policies."