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New agriculture policy aims at improving rural wealth
Jamaica Observer
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
STATE minister for agriculture Errol Ennis has mapped out government's agricultural strategy which he said seeks to develop a sector more responsive to global trends and which will help to create wealth in the rural economy in particular.
Ennis, speaking in the sectoral debate, unveiled a flow chart that showed the integration of land policy, agricultural credit, research and technology and good environmental practices, flowing into reaping and post-harvest practices, marketing, packaging, soil management and irrigation and drainage.
The end product is supposed to be better productivity, efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability.
He noted that the availability of adequate financial and human resources was critical to the success of the policy, saying that issue would be addressed by the formation of an Agricultural Development Council. The council "will ensure the relevance of the policies, removal of implementation bottlenecks and most importantly, will seek to mobilise the necessary financial support," Ennis told the House.
"In addition, an inter-ministerial committee will also facilitate cooperation between public entities and effect coordination of agricultural-related activities of government."
Already government has put $200 million in the plan, said Ennis, and agriculture will spend another $611 million from its capital budget this year.
The state minister also spoke of pending developments in a number of small - and medium - sized farms, including:
. Thetford Farms - a 95-hectare farm owned by a private investor involved in mixed farming, including crops and livestock such as hot peppers, fruit, vegetables, fish, pigs and poultry;
. Rhymesbury - a 100-hectare dairy farm;
. New River - to be developed by a company primarily engaged in agriculture and eco-tourism;
. Amity Hall - involving a mix of cashew orchards and vegetable plots that young, trained farmers aged 17 to 35 will cultivate; and
. a special project to develop eight hectares of commercial breadfruit, 405 hectares of shrimp and a modern abattoir and meat packing plant.
Ennis also noted that in addition to the projects, it was the goal of the of the ministry "to establish at least one fully integrated commercial farming project in every rural parish."
He said the crops selected would be those with "a high value-added component and with significant international competitive advantages."
Jamaica Observer
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
STATE minister for agriculture Errol Ennis has mapped out government's agricultural strategy which he said seeks to develop a sector more responsive to global trends and which will help to create wealth in the rural economy in particular.
Ennis, speaking in the sectoral debate, unveiled a flow chart that showed the integration of land policy, agricultural credit, research and technology and good environmental practices, flowing into reaping and post-harvest practices, marketing, packaging, soil management and irrigation and drainage.
The end product is supposed to be better productivity, efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability.
He noted that the availability of adequate financial and human resources was critical to the success of the policy, saying that issue would be addressed by the formation of an Agricultural Development Council. The council "will ensure the relevance of the policies, removal of implementation bottlenecks and most importantly, will seek to mobilise the necessary financial support," Ennis told the House.
"In addition, an inter-ministerial committee will also facilitate cooperation between public entities and effect coordination of agricultural-related activities of government."
Already government has put $200 million in the plan, said Ennis, and agriculture will spend another $611 million from its capital budget this year.
The state minister also spoke of pending developments in a number of small - and medium - sized farms, including:
. Thetford Farms - a 95-hectare farm owned by a private investor involved in mixed farming, including crops and livestock such as hot peppers, fruit, vegetables, fish, pigs and poultry;
. Rhymesbury - a 100-hectare dairy farm;
. New River - to be developed by a company primarily engaged in agriculture and eco-tourism;
. Amity Hall - involving a mix of cashew orchards and vegetable plots that young, trained farmers aged 17 to 35 will cultivate; and
. a special project to develop eight hectares of commercial breadfruit, 405 hectares of shrimp and a modern abattoir and meat packing plant.
Ennis also noted that in addition to the projects, it was the goal of the of the ministry "to establish at least one fully integrated commercial farming project in every rural parish."
He said the crops selected would be those with "a high value-added component and with significant international competitive advantages."
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