Dear Editor,
I recently attended a meeting of agricultural stakeholders in Manchester at the conference room of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in Mandeville, where the keynote address was given by J C Hutchinson, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. In his address to the stakeholders present he spoke of the way forward for agriculture in Jamaica.
There are a few things that the good minister alluded to that I personally have issues with. He stated the producer marketing organisations (PMO) are now the most important organisations for the growth of agriculture in Jamaica. He further stated that any form of assistance for farmers by way of seeds, fertiliser, chickens, insecticides, etc, would only be disbursed through the individual PMO presidents. He or she only would have control and direct who receives such assistance.
I have no issues with the disbursement of such assistance going through the PMOs, but I must ask the question, what of the 121-year-old organisation called the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS)? It has 38 active branches in the parish of Manchester alone. If, at all, farmers can only receive through the PMOs, then is it that members of the JAS cannot get any assistance by virtue of the fact they are members of the society? Is it that in order to get assistance they will have to become members of the PMOs? If this is so, would this not be an attempt to destroy the JAS in an attempt to build the PMOs?
In his address, the minister also made mention that some RADA officers were solely focusing on the Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show for the month of July, and not getting a chance to do anything else. He stated that next year will be different, if he has anything to do with it, because without RADA’s involvement the show would flop.
The Denbigh Agricultural Show has been around for 64 years. This three-day agricultural festival has become, over the decades, a tourist attraction where it attracts patrons from North America and even Europe. How could a show of this magnitude be a success without RADA being fully on board and fully participating in its preparation, operation and completion? RADA is the sole agricultural technocrat of agriculture that operates on behalf of the Government of Jamaica.
I am calling on the minister to give clarity to the aforementioned statements; in the finally analysis, it is my view that there is a direct attempt to disintegrate the JAS by firstly, excluding its branches and members from governmental assistance and furthermore, to pull RADA from the Denbigh Agricultural Show.
On behalf of the thousands of farmers who are members of the JAS, I am seeking clarity on the way forward for agriculture and what role the JAS is expected to play, if any.
Gary Rowe
Public relations officer
Manchester Association of Branch Societies
magnett0072004@yahoo.com.
I recently attended a meeting of agricultural stakeholders in Manchester at the conference room of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in Mandeville, where the keynote address was given by J C Hutchinson, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. In his address to the stakeholders present he spoke of the way forward for agriculture in Jamaica.
There are a few things that the good minister alluded to that I personally have issues with. He stated the producer marketing organisations (PMO) are now the most important organisations for the growth of agriculture in Jamaica. He further stated that any form of assistance for farmers by way of seeds, fertiliser, chickens, insecticides, etc, would only be disbursed through the individual PMO presidents. He or she only would have control and direct who receives such assistance.
I have no issues with the disbursement of such assistance going through the PMOs, but I must ask the question, what of the 121-year-old organisation called the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS)? It has 38 active branches in the parish of Manchester alone. If, at all, farmers can only receive through the PMOs, then is it that members of the JAS cannot get any assistance by virtue of the fact they are members of the society? Is it that in order to get assistance they will have to become members of the PMOs? If this is so, would this not be an attempt to destroy the JAS in an attempt to build the PMOs?
In his address, the minister also made mention that some RADA officers were solely focusing on the Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show for the month of July, and not getting a chance to do anything else. He stated that next year will be different, if he has anything to do with it, because without RADA’s involvement the show would flop.
The Denbigh Agricultural Show has been around for 64 years. This three-day agricultural festival has become, over the decades, a tourist attraction where it attracts patrons from North America and even Europe. How could a show of this magnitude be a success without RADA being fully on board and fully participating in its preparation, operation and completion? RADA is the sole agricultural technocrat of agriculture that operates on behalf of the Government of Jamaica.
I am calling on the minister to give clarity to the aforementioned statements; in the finally analysis, it is my view that there is a direct attempt to disintegrate the JAS by firstly, excluding its branches and members from governmental assistance and furthermore, to pull RADA from the Denbigh Agricultural Show.
On behalf of the thousands of farmers who are members of the JAS, I am seeking clarity on the way forward for agriculture and what role the JAS is expected to play, if any.
Gary Rowe
Public relations officer
Manchester Association of Branch Societies
magnett0072004@yahoo.com.