It's Imperative: Jamaica Must Feed Herself...

[barosa]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">'Jamaica must feed itself'
published: Monday | May 19, 2008


The Editor, Sir:

This is an open letter to the minister of agriculture - I wish to suggest a small way in which the above message could be commu-nicated to the future citizens of our land - our schoolchildren.

The Rural Agriculture Develop-ment Agency should be required to accumulate all the ackee seeds to meet the number of children currently attending primary schools islandwide.

All children would be required to 'set' those seeds to produce a plant, which they would plant at their respective homes. Later, similar projects would be done with breadfruit seedlings and then with avocado pear seeds. The ultimate object should be for all those homes to possess an ackee, breadfruit and pear tree - their own source of livelihood, at least during those seasons.

Backyard gardening

At the same time, a campaign should be launched to encourage all other households to start their home gardens by planting crops in their homes where they do not exist. In other words, every 'yard' in Jamaica should have an ackee, breadfruit and a pear tree. Members of the 4-H Clubs island-wide could assist in sourcing the seeds and seedlings.

I am, etc.,

HOWARD HAMILTON, QC </div></div>
In a recent topic, I expressed how important it is for Jamaica to seriously consider plans that are now being discussed to improve Agriculture in Jamaica. The post above is from a man who's on the same page as myself when it comes to Jamaica feeding herself. His letter puts the emphasis on individuals to plant three of the most basic fruit trees on their home properties... With the likelihood of world food shortages, what is better than such taples as Breadfruit, Avocado(pear) and Ackee among others, in ones own backyard?...
____________________________

There's always Hope for a brighter tomorrow.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: It's Imperative: Jamaica Must Feed Herself...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: barosa</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">'Jamaica must feed itself'
published: Monday | May 19, 2008


The Editor, Sir:

This is an open letter to the minister of agriculture - I wish to suggest a small way in which the above message could be commu-nicated to the future citizens of our land - our schoolchildren.

The Rural Agriculture Develop-ment Agency should be required to accumulate all the ackee seeds to meet the number of children currently attending primary schools islandwide.

All children would be required to 'set' those seeds to produce a plant, which they would plant at their respective homes. Later, similar projects would be done with breadfruit seedlings and then with avocado pear seeds. The ultimate object should be for all those homes to possess an ackee, breadfruit and pear tree - their own source of livelihood, at least during those seasons.

Backyard gardening

At the same time, a campaign should be launched to encourage all other households to start their home gardens by planting crops in their homes where they do not exist. In other words, every 'yard' in Jamaica should have an ackee, breadfruit and a pear tree. Members of the 4-H Clubs island-wide could assist in sourcing the seeds and seedlings.

I am, etc.,

HOWARD HAMILTON, QC </div></div>
In a recent topic, I expressed how important it is for Jamaica to seriously consider plans that are now being discussed to improve Agriculture in Jamaica. The post above is from a man who's on the same page as myself when it comes to Jamaica feeding herself. His letter puts the emphasis on individuals to plant three of the most basic fruit trees on their home properties... With the likelihood of world food shortages, what is better than such taples as Breadfruit, Avocado(pear) and Ackee among others, in ones own backyard?...
____________________________

There's always Hope for a brighter tomorrow. </div></div> If you are going to recommend a policy it should be sound. If fruit trees could feed th ecountry, it would have done so ling ago. Jamaica will never be able to feed itself it has to put in th eprimary infrastructure for agriculture. And it is not roads. Everythime they ralk about agr9cultirer they tralk ablut fixing roiads. fixing roads is really money down the gulleys. because the roads only last until th enext flood,which is about once every 3 months.
The roads cannot be repaired to t elevel that will surviuve the regular floods. That i sbecause the ahriculture as practiced does not produce enough to afford the econ90my to properly maintain roads.
If they want to spend less on roads,they have to sppend on putting in a natiional irrigation scheme, That will increase the productivity 10 rolds. With that level of production,the economy will be able to afford real repairs to th eroads that can surviuve the floods.\It is not rocket science. But i still can't fathom why the educated Jamaicabn sare deathly afraid of larg einvestment in a nati99onal irrigation scheme. That is the best onvestment now. Look on th eKingston sandy gully. If it was done 9n a smaller scale as an irrigation system then , the increse productivity would have paid for many sandy Gully schemes.

[Wahalla]

Re: It's Imperative: Jamaica Must Feed Herself...

When mi right dat dem fi encourage deh planting af trees no body eva comment on it.. This should be the prerequiste of all NHT as well as instructions to care for them... Not some annula labour day gimic.. But a method to encourge those in agriculture to plant trees and care for them till they are established...

Doc is right trees wont feed us.. it can be part of a strategy to reduce imports..

I have acknowleged that doc has in the past mentioned that our agricculture was key and that real development as opposed to fluff.. He said this at a time the price of commodities were low and few people had factored in the enormous demand comingo ut the far east.. 9He has also mentioned that machete agriculture is not

I like most assumed that the prices would stay low. We were wrong..

[jah_yout]

Re: It's Imperative: Jamaica Must Feed Herself...

interesting thought but it's never about being able to feed yourself...it's always been about politics- which is why some nations have a food surplus while some are starving..
i think we're heading toward a natural global crisis and all this talk of food prices rising is due to artificial manipulation of the natural food markets...

how long can they fool the people?

[barosa]

Re: It's Imperative: Jamaica Must Feed Herself...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Doc is right trees wont feed us.. it can be part of a strategy to reduce imports..
</div></div>
Wahalla, that's precisely the point! - Individuals planting trees on their properties wont feed Jamaica, but as you say "it can be part of a stategy to reduce imports"... Although that was not said in the original letter, I think that was the objective of the writer. We should never underestimate the importance of self reliance however minimal it may appear; it should be encouraged. I would add that if there are spaces in some backyard properties, it would be smart to plant a few banana trees and some GUNGU for good measure. Bwoy! how I LOVE gungu peas soup? With that said, I always remember the good old Jamaican saying: "Every Mickle makes a Muckle"...
____________________________

There's always Hope for a brighter tomorrow.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: It's Imperative: Jamaica Must Feed Herself...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: barosa</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Doc is right trees wont feed us.. it can be part of a strategy to reduce imports..
</div></div>
Wahalla, that's precisely the point! - Individuals planting trees on their properties wont feed Jamaica, but as you say "it can be part of a stategy to reduce imports"... Although that was not said in the original letter, I think that was the objective of the writer. We should never underestimate the importance of self reliance however minimal it may appear; it should be encouraged. I would add that if there are spaces in some backyard properties, it would be smart to plant a few banana trees and some GUNGU for good measure. Bwoy! how I LOVE gungu peas soup? With that said, I always remember the good old Jamaican saying: "Every Mickle makes a Muckle"...
____________________________

There's always Hope for a brighter tomorrow. </div></div> the difference here is that Jamaica is not in need of 'self riliance'. It is in need og a survival strategy. The suggesting of planting of fruit trees is like trying to dress th ewounds of a person who has coded, instead of attempting to perfotm the code. Now after we see to th esurvival of the program,then we can do that.

[Sinco01]

Re: It's Imperative: Jamaica Must Feed Herself...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: barosa</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Doc is right trees wont feed us.. it can be part of a strategy to reduce imports..
</div></div>
Wahalla, that's precisely the point! - Individuals planting trees on their properties wont feed Jamaica, but as you say "it can be part of a stategy to reduce imports"... Although that was not said in the original letter, I think that was the objective of the writer. We should never underestimate the importance of self reliance however minimal it may appear; it should be encouraged. I would add that if there are spaces in some backyard properties, it would be smart to plant a few banana trees and some GUNGU for good measure. Bwoy! how I LOVE gungu peas soup? With that said, I always remember the good old Jamaican saying: "Every Mickle makes a Muckle"...
____________________________

There's always Hope for a brighter tomorrow. </div></div> the difference here is that Jamaica is not in need of 'self riliance'. It is in need og a survival strategy. The suggesting of planting of fruit trees is like trying to dress th ewounds of a person who has coded, instead of attempting to perfotm the code. Now after we see to th esurvival of the program,then we can do that. </div></div>


Doc ... we have done this for years and survived ...
While growing up .. the only thing i regularly ran to the shop to buy was 'saltfish' ..

we had most every fruit known to Jamaica growing somewhere on our property ..

planted corn, peas sometimes tomatoes or carrots ..

had most animals tied out in the bush somewhere ..

so Ja has been a very reliable community in the past ..
can become so again ..

quite a few of us has written that JA needs to reduce its imports ...
not only of food ..
but ALSO oil ..
and now story come to bump ..

dem betta start build solar panel factories ..
and start retrofit dem car too