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Increased Food Production Results in Less Imports of Fresh Produce
KINGSTON (JIS):
Monday, November 16, 2009
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Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Honourable Dr. Christopher Tufton (centre), reporting domestic food crop production figures to journalists attending a press conference at the Ministry, in Kingston today (November 16). Others (from right) are : Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Donovan Stanberry and Director of the Ministry's Data Bank and Evaluation Division, Mr. Michael Pryce.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is reporting that the country imported at least 70 per cent less fresh produce, compared to this time last year, as a result of increased food crop production.
At a press conference at the Ministry in Kingston, today (November 16), it was revealed that domestic food crop production for the July to September quarter had increased by 20.6 per cent, compared with the similar quarter in 2008.
The third quarter recorded a gross output of domestic crops totalling 123,777 tonnes, compared with 102,614 tonnes in the third quarter of 2008. This is the fifth consecutive quarter that there has been an increase in production.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, noted that among the crop categories doing well were condiments, which recorded a 56 per cent increase over last year; cereals, 39.5 per cent; Irish and sweet potatoes, 35.6 per cent; vegetables, 29.8 per cent; legumes, 15.8 per cent; and plantain, 30.2 per cent.
Dr. Tufton also reported that all parishes recorded increases in production over the corresponding quarter last year. He noted that St. Elizabeth with 24,664.4 tonnes; Manchester, 24,075.7 tonnes; and Trelawny, 20,070.7 tonnes, accounted for 55.6 per cent of the national production.
The Minister credited the Production and Productivity Programme, launched by the Ministry over a year and a half ago, for the continued increase in domestic food crop production.
"We, under this programme, identified a number of crops that are critical to feeding our country, identified a number of farmers across the country, provided training for those farmers in best practices, linked those farmers to critical market segments which were in need of those crops, and of course we benefitted this year from no storms, although we had a very severe drought, which hampered production to some extent," D. Tufton explained.
He said that consumers have been responding very well to the thrust towards eating more local produce and this accounted largely for the decrease in imports of fresh produce. He pointed out that in the critical fresh food category, comprising crops which can be grown locally, Jamaica only imported 25 to 30 per cent of the volume of what was imported last year.
"What it means is that we have been able, working with the farmers in the fields, supported by the Jamaican consumers, to minimise the requirement for foreign exchange to import some of these foods, preserved the economic activity of our farmers in rural Jamaica...and in a number of cases, offered to the Jamaican people what we have always believed and always promoted, a more nutritious option of consuming local foods," he added.
Dr. Tufton is predicting that if there are no late hurricanes this year, the next quarter should see further increases in food production. He said farmers have already undertaken a significant amount of land preparation, adding that the full effect of crops planted in October will not be felt until the first quarter of 2010. For the next quarter, he said, the Ministry will, under the Productivity programme, be targeting onions and Irish potatoes, especially.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/MinAgriFish/ht...SH_PRODUCE.asp
KINGSTON (JIS):
Monday, November 16, 2009
PRINT THISSEND TO A FRIENDMinister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Honourable Dr. Christopher Tufton (centre), reporting domestic food crop production figures to journalists attending a press conference at the Ministry, in Kingston today (November 16). Others (from right) are : Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Donovan Stanberry and Director of the Ministry's Data Bank and Evaluation Division, Mr. Michael Pryce.The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is reporting that the country imported at least 70 per cent less fresh produce, compared to this time last year, as a result of increased food crop production.
At a press conference at the Ministry in Kingston, today (November 16), it was revealed that domestic food crop production for the July to September quarter had increased by 20.6 per cent, compared with the similar quarter in 2008.
The third quarter recorded a gross output of domestic crops totalling 123,777 tonnes, compared with 102,614 tonnes in the third quarter of 2008. This is the fifth consecutive quarter that there has been an increase in production.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, noted that among the crop categories doing well were condiments, which recorded a 56 per cent increase over last year; cereals, 39.5 per cent; Irish and sweet potatoes, 35.6 per cent; vegetables, 29.8 per cent; legumes, 15.8 per cent; and plantain, 30.2 per cent.
Dr. Tufton also reported that all parishes recorded increases in production over the corresponding quarter last year. He noted that St. Elizabeth with 24,664.4 tonnes; Manchester, 24,075.7 tonnes; and Trelawny, 20,070.7 tonnes, accounted for 55.6 per cent of the national production.
The Minister credited the Production and Productivity Programme, launched by the Ministry over a year and a half ago, for the continued increase in domestic food crop production.
"We, under this programme, identified a number of crops that are critical to feeding our country, identified a number of farmers across the country, provided training for those farmers in best practices, linked those farmers to critical market segments which were in need of those crops, and of course we benefitted this year from no storms, although we had a very severe drought, which hampered production to some extent," D. Tufton explained.
He said that consumers have been responding very well to the thrust towards eating more local produce and this accounted largely for the decrease in imports of fresh produce. He pointed out that in the critical fresh food category, comprising crops which can be grown locally, Jamaica only imported 25 to 30 per cent of the volume of what was imported last year.
"What it means is that we have been able, working with the farmers in the fields, supported by the Jamaican consumers, to minimise the requirement for foreign exchange to import some of these foods, preserved the economic activity of our farmers in rural Jamaica...and in a number of cases, offered to the Jamaican people what we have always believed and always promoted, a more nutritious option of consuming local foods," he added.
Dr. Tufton is predicting that if there are no late hurricanes this year, the next quarter should see further increases in food production. He said farmers have already undertaken a significant amount of land preparation, adding that the full effect of crops planted in October will not be felt until the first quarter of 2010. For the next quarter, he said, the Ministry will, under the Productivity programme, be targeting onions and Irish potatoes, especially.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/MinAgriFish/ht...SH_PRODUCE.asp
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