Throwing pearls before swine

[Assasin]

Throwing pearls before swine - Local broccoli and other veggies being fed to pigs
published: Friday | April 25, 2008

Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

Desmond Whitely shows off his jumbo cauliflower, for which he is seeking a market. - Ian Allen/Staff [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Photographer[/COLOR][/COLOR]
Thousands of pounds of nutritious vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are being fed to pigs in St Elizabeth, as [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]farmers[/COLOR][/COLOR] there are unable to find markets for their produce.
Several farmers of Carlisle community in the Breadbasket Parish said their regular customers, the hotels, were primarily purchasing imported vegetables and that they could not solicit sufficient alternative buyers for their crops.
Desmond Whitely said he usually sold some 800 pounds of cauliflower to the hotels; now they were taking less than half that amount.
"A lot of times, some thousands of pounds of it (cauliflower) me have to feed it to pigs," said Whitely.
"I wouldn't mind somebody come take it off o' me," he added.
The farmer's cauliflower weighs an average of nine pounds each, commanding a price of $25 per pound.
RADA report
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Data[/COLOR][/COLOR] from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority marketing extension unit show that, within the markets, the vegetable that is rich in [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]vitamins[/COLOR][/COLOR] and carbohydrates sells for up to $70 per pound.
A few metres from Whitely's farm, The Gleaner met broccoli cultivator, Patroy Powell.
He, too, like many other farmers within the community that is located some three miles from Junction, has had to dump the vegetable dubbed by nutritionists as 'brain food'.
"Any time the imported ones come, ah this happen to we," said Powell.
Up to yesterday evening, messages left for Wayne Cummings, head of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, had not been returned.
The broccoli in the community goes for $60 per pound but, within the markets, fetches $120 per pound.
"All the time me have to chop out me land and dump broccoli," he said.
Government assistance
The farmers have called on the Government to assist them with finding a market for their produce - vegetables which cost a minimum of $100,000 a month in purchases of water and fertiliser, to produce.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding, in his contribution to the Budget Debate on Tuesday, said the country could cushion the blow against rising food prices if it decreases its dependence on imports. His comments echoed those of Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, in his Budget Debate contribution, almost a week earlier.
Though Golding did not state statistics for vegetable imports, he said the nation ships in some $8 billion worth of fruit concentrate yearly and spends the same amount on corn and soybean. shelly-ann.thompson@gleanerjm.com

[Lazie]

Sass, the other night there was a pig farmer from either St. Mary or Portland on the news complaining how dem nuh stop teif him pigs. This dude started out cleaning pig pen and now him a duh him own thing. Apparently during his plea he said all he wants is a piece of land to guh duh some farming.

During his budget presentation the other day the PM said his wife told him about the farmer and he has instructed the Minister of Agriculture to guh find him since he wants to do some farming.

By the sound of things, it look like dem serious about producing more.

[Don1]

Where's the beef?

Sass, the other night there was a pig farmer from either St. Mary or Portland on the news complaining how dem nuh stop teif him pigs. This dude started out cleaning pig pen and now him a duh him own thing. Apparently during his plea he said all he wants is a piece of land to guh duh some farming.

During his budget presentation the other day the PM said his wife told him about the farmer and he has instructed the Minister of Agriculture to guh find him since he wants to do some farming.

By the sound of things, it look like dem serious about producing more.

Political statements or PR gambits don't result in production.

To be "serious" as you claim... regarding increased production there has to be a good plan and large investment.

When one sees that... then there's good reason to to be hopeful.

[Assasin]

"large investment"

Not necessarily. Small investment can result in company growing and increasing production. I don't think you can look for huge investment but better technology and teaching small farmers management and selling skills will result in more output.

If the profit margin is there then it will attract more farmers.

[Lazie]

Political statements or PR gambits don't result in production.

To be "serious" as you claim... regarding increased production there has to be a good plan and large investment.

When one sees that... then there's good reason to to be hopeful.

Political statement? Okay Don1, you've proven that you're one of the doubting Thomases with anything regarding the new gov't ... fine. Why should I bother providing information for the misinformed when all you gonna duh is find a reason to discount it? Well, since Lazie s here to educate.

Knock yuhself out!

large investment -
DBJ Approves Loan of $250 Million for Agricultural Sector



Gov't to Rehabilitate Fishing Beaches at a Cost of $100 Million




Good Plan- Not certain if they're good plans ... I guess only the result will be the indicator if they were good plans.

Agriculture Minister Outlines Short and Long Term Measures to Move Sector Forward


Gov't to Embark on Residential Fruit Tree Planting Project

[Don1]

more of the same...

Political statement? Okay Don1, you've proven that you're one of the doubting Thomases with anything regarding the new gov't ... fine. Why should I bother providing information for the misinformed when all you gonna duh is find a reason to discount it? Well, since Lazie s here to educate.

Knock yuhself out!

large investment -
DBJ Approves Loan of $250 Million for Agricultural Sector



Gov't to Rehabilitate Fishing Beaches at a Cost of $100 Million




Good Plan- Not certain if they're good plans ... I guess only the result will be the indicator if they were good plans.

Agriculture Minister Outlines Short and Long Term Measures to Move Sector Forward


Gov't to Embark on Residential Fruit Tree Planting Project

You call THAT stuff being serious about production?
You call THAT large investments?

I read about those projects and am supportive of these steps BUT sorry ...this does not amount to a fundamental shift of resources to increase agricultural output ... good steps but ... baby steps.

Your optimism is admirable however.

[Lazie]

You call THAT stuff being serious about production?
You call THAT large investments?

I read about those projects and am supportive of these steps BUT sorry ...this does not amount to a fundamental shift of resources to increase agricultural output ... good steps but ... baby steps.

Your optimism is admirable however.

The journey of a thousand miles begin with the first step .... even if its a baby step. Unless you've been living under a rock ... you ought to be aware of the fiscal constraints facing the gov't. All of a sudden people want miracle.

You ask for investments and you got 2 articles proving that they're investing at leasr 350 million.

You asked for plans ... you got plans ... but a you name Doubting Thomas.

"What could have cushioned the blow on us is our own domestic food production. But that has been falling progressively over the last 10 years. Agricultural production last year was 30% less than it was in 1996 and is back to where it was in 1988. Here are a few examples:

Item ---1996 (Tons) -- 2007 (Tons) -- Change

Yams --253,371 --113,124 -- -65%

Dasheen & Coco -44,611 ---17,316 -- -61%

Cho-Cho -6,379 -2,534 - -60%

Irish Potato -13,775 -7,477 - -46%

Peas & Beans -11,530 -7,512 - -35%

Cabbage -32,809 -22,110 - -33%

Carrot -26,026 -19,365 - -25%

Sweet Potato -33,218 -26,005 - -22%

Pumpkin -42,150 -33,749 - -20%

Tomato - 24,114 -19,576 - -19%

We import each year $8 billion of corn and soybean, $8 billion of fruit concentrates and $4 billion of livestock products, because we don’t produce enough of our own. We may not be able to produce all that we need, but we don’t have to be so helpless. We have idle lands, idle hands and hungry mouths. We must be able to do better than that! " (PM)

Gwaan play dandy shandy Don1. At leeast him not chanting how him love the poor in order to convince himself.

[Don1]

??

The journey of a thousand miles begin with the first step .... even if its a baby step. Unless you've been living under a rock ... you ought to be aware of the fiscal constraints facing the gov't. All of a sudden people want miracle.

You ask for investments and you got 2 articles proving that they're investing at leasr 350 million.

You asked for plans ... you got plans ... but a you name Doubting Thomas.

"What could have cushioned the blow on us is our own domestic food production. But that has been falling progressively over the last 10 years. Agricultural production last year was 30% less than it was in 1996 and is back to where it was in 1988. Here are a few examples:

Item ---1996 (Tons) -- 2007 (Tons) -- Change

Yams --253,371 --113,124 -- -65%

Dasheen & Coco -44,611 ---17,316 -- -61%

Cho-Cho -6,379 -2,534 - -60%

Irish Potato -13,775 -7,477 - -46%

Peas & Beans -11,530 -7,512 - -35%

Cabbage -32,809 -22,110 - -33%

Carrot -26,026 -19,365 - -25%

Sweet Potato -33,218 -26,005 - -22%

Pumpkin -42,150 -33,749 - -20%

Tomato - 24,114 -19,576 - -19%

We import each year $8 billion of corn and soybean, $8 billion of fruit concentrates and $4 billion of livestock products, because we don’t produce enough of our own. We may not be able to produce all that we need, but we don’t have to be so helpless. We have idle lands, idle hands and hungry mouths. We must be able to do better than that! " (PM)

Gwaan play dandy shandy Don1. At leeast him not chanting how him love the poor in order to convince himself.

No one is expecting miracles fellow. Nor should one respond to what amounts to routine policy announcements with unwarranted excitement.... not if you wish to be taken seriously.

I am merely pointing out that your optimism could not have been based on reality - your earlier post referenced less than US$5m investment in agriculture and you saw this as being "serious" about increased production.
It's a start ... but hardly the cause for the celebrations you appear ready to declare.
It could be that my standards are somewhat higher than yours.... in terms of what it takes to be impressed.

You are so easily excited by the pronouncements made by this government... it's really laughable.

[Don1]

"large investment"

Not necessarily. Small investment can result in company growing and increasing production. I don't think you can look for huge investment but better technology and teaching small farmers management and selling skills will result in more output.

If the profit margin is there then it will attract more farmers.

Bredrin, to move agriculture forward to the next level .....it's going to take relatively large investments.

Introducing new technology.... farmer education, improving farm roads, upgrading markets, greenhouses, hydroponics, new irrigation methods, crop and animal husbandry, new crop varieties, soil restoration, open sea fish farming etc etc etc to a agricultural community of say 200,000-300,000 small farmers? That's not cheap.

I'd say US$500m to $1b in capital expenditure over the next say 15 years would do the trick.... that would impress me..... $5m doesn't..... but those who see that as deliverance have a right to that opinion.

[Lazie]

No one is expecting miracles fellow. Nor should one respond to what amounts to routine policy announcements with unwarranted excitement.... not if you wish to be taken seriously.

I am merely pointing out that your optimism could not have been based on reality - your earlier post referenced less than US$5m investment in agriculture and you saw this as being "serious" about increased production.
It's a start ... but hardly the cause for the celebrations you appear ready to declare.
It could be that my standards are somewhat higher than yours.... in terms of what it takes to be impressed.

You are so easily excited by the pronouncements made by this government... it's really laughable.

If the gov't had allocated 400 billion to agriculture you'd still have a problem. Of course I'm optimistic especially based on what I saw small farmers encounter attempting to sell their produce.

These guys see the problem and are making attempts to address it. The Jamaica Agricultural Society has expressed their optimism based on what the gov't is doing and they are intimately involved. Who is the head of the JAS?

[Lazie]

Bredrin, to move agriculture forward to the next level .....it's going to take relatively large investments.

Introducing new technology.... farmer education, improving farm roads, upgrading markets, greenhouses, hydroponics, new irrigation methods, crop and animal husbandry, new crop varieties, soil restoration, open sea fish farming etc etc etc to a agricultural community of say 200,000-300,000 small farmers? That's not cheap.

I'd say US$500m to $1b in capital expenditure over the next say 15 years would do the trick.... that would impress me..... $5m doesn't..... but those who see that as deliverance have a right to that opinion.

I would love to have a private jet .. but there is something called a budget that is preventing me.

[Don1]

I would love to have a private jet .. but there is something called a budget that is preventing me.

You again miss the point.

The point is how easy it is for you to be impressed by routine pronouncements by this particular regime.

[Don1]

If the gov't had allocated 400 billion to agriculture you'd still have a problem. Of course I'm optimistic especially based on what I saw small farmers encounter attempting to sell their produce.

These guys see the problem and are making attempts to address it. The Jamaica Agricultural Society has expressed their optimism based on what the gov't is doing and they are intimately involved. Who is the head of the JAS?

I don't take my cue from the head of the JAS or any political figure of any party.

Whoever chooses to be encouraged or impressed by these allocations.... that's their right ..... just as I have a right to

[Assasin]

All I know is it doesn't take that much for Jamaica to start feeding itself. If we could just do that it would be fine.

[Don1]

Apples vs Oranges

All I know is it doesn't take that much for Jamaica to start feeding itself. If we could just do that it would be fine.

I guess we have different objectives here.

Yours is for Jamaica to "start feeding itself".... that's an excellent goal for the short term and I agree... this would not need the expenditures I outlined to make such a "start"

My focus (probably too fanciful) was that we think in strategic terms to ensure food security since it's obvious that the world has an extreme food crisis and it's not going away. So my expenditure projections reflected a wish list to get to the point of a modern agricultural sector with appropriate technology and infrastructure - yes... I'm aware the money is not readily available but it's important to have an overall STRATEGY and not to react piecemeal to such a crisis.

From that standpoint I believe that we have to upgrade our small farming sector away from the old model of going to "ground" to produce small amounts, using manual labour on small, uneconomic plots. That model is dead in this 21st century and I hope your view is not that we just buttress this 19th century model.... we need a radical transformation.... over the next 10-15 years.

I was outlining what it would take for me to be impressed in terms of a policy in agriculture...... perhaps a more comprehensive strategic plan is coming from the GOJ ... i'm willing to wait to see.... it's early days yet.