Damion Mitchell, Assistant News Editor

Goddard

These are frustrating times for Dr Gillian Goddard, a Trinidadian entrepreneur who has painstakingly tried to import organic produce from Jamaica.

It is a dream she has been working on for almost a year, but Goddard says a sluggish response by the Jamaican authorities has made the process agitating. As a result, she continues to incur import duties of 40 per cent, in addition to 40 per cent freight charges, to source the items from the United States.

Stumbling block

Organic produce trade could not get a jump-start immediately upon Goddard's request because there was no protocol in place. It was the first time that a partnership was being established to export produce, not grown with chemical fertilisers, from Jamaica to Trinidad.

Pest-risk analysis

Jamaica's agriculture ministry needed time to undertake a pest-risk analysis and to set up a unit to ensure that only safe produce is sent from Jamaica to Trinidad.

But, for Goddard, the wait has been agonising.

"There isn't a magic theory waving a wand that says 'you made this pronouncement, I will turn it into reality'," said Goddard, who was among delegates at the eighth Caribbean Week of Agriculture conference in St Vincent and the Grenadines last week.

"I don't see much progress in what is happening between the decision to integrate the region and the ability to integrate it."

Robert Reid, regional agri-spe-cialist of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, had helped Goddard to establish a relationship with the agriculture ministry to facilitate trade.

He acknowledged the importance of a proper pest-management system to prevent the transfer of insects and diseases, but said bureaucracy often caused delays.

"I think it's a matter of time, but it will happen," he said.

Framework completed

Meanwhile, Donovan Stanberry, permanent secretary in the agriculture ministry, who also attended the conference, told The Gleaner that the pest-risk analysis framework has been completed and efforts are far advanced to establish the monitoring unit by the end of the fiscal year.

"In the scheme of things, I don't know that it's taking very long," Stanberry said, noting that the agriculture ministry is now writing the job descriptions for the unit's staff.

He said the jobs are to be classified very shortly by the Cabinet office. Once approved by the finance ministry, recruitment will begin.

damion.mitchell@gleanerjm.com