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Better marketing strategy needed for agriculture
Published: Friday | May 6, 2011 3 Comments
Roger H.C. Clarke
Roger Clarke, GUEST COLUMNIST
There has been much discussion since Monday about spectacular growth in domestic agriculture, and even Wednesday morning an announcement of the relaunch of the backyard-garden programme which, in due course, will see more growth. I do understand the flurry of PR activity intended to pre-empt my presentation in Parliament.
I don't even question the veracity of the growth figures presented, as I have come to realise that neither floods nor droughts have any significant effect on domestic [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]agricultural[/COLOR][/COLOR] production these days.
It is easy also to bump up production in certain crops, many of which mature between six weeks and four months and are quite weighty. My concern, however, is the age-old problem of marketing.
It actually equates praedial larceny, as farmers, having spent on expensive imputs, see their produce being dumped or sold at knockdown prices.
So boasting about record-breaking production is really immaterial, excepting for PR purposes or satisfaction of one's ego.
One would think that with the advent of a bright, energetic young man whose discipline is marketing, backed by the requisite human and financial resources, viz budgetary provisions, hundreds of production and marketing organisations, one marketing officer for every parish, doubling of the extension service, significant registration of farmers, an agricultural business information system, packaging [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]houses[/COLOR][/COLOR], appointment of five wise men and, of course, a commendably supportive Gleaner Company, the problem of marketing would have been solved.
Interestingly, though, this is not the case, and we now see our farmers being trucked to these improvised markets to virtually compete among themselves for the disposal of their crops. At the end of the day, sometimes the farmer has to sell 20lb of cabbage to buy a $200 pack of Milo.
middlemen important
There is even talk of eliminating the middlemen. Some people don't understand that some of these middlemen act almost as bankers for some small farmers, even advancing them on a future crop based on relationships built up over the years.
Then there are the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]supermarkets[/COLOR][/COLOR] that have direct links with farmers. When these supermarket owners buy products from the farmers, package and prepare for sale, and then realise there is a farmers' market next door competing against them and they cannot dispose of the produce, and spoilage takes place, that is the end of that relationship.
Then there are also hagglers who go to the farmers' markets, buy at knockdown prices, and return to the formal market to sell.
Farmers do not want to go to market to sell; they want to stay on their farms and produce.
In this business of marketing perishable agricultural products, the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Government[/COLOR][/COLOR] must understand its role and decide whether it is going to pursue an Agricultural Marketing Corporation-type operation or play a coordinating role in terms of information and logistics. Properly organised farmers' organisations, buttressed by some concept of cooperatives, should be able to play a significant role.
I must also question the source of [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]funding[/COLOR][/COLOR] for these farmers' markets. Interestingly enough, not much was said about the rest of the sector - areas like citrus, coffee, bananas, sugar, inland fisheries, beef, dairy, apiculture, forestry, pork, eggs, poultry and, especially, rice, which was supposed to have reached a target of some 2,500 hectares by now.
Finally, if food security is the mantra of the ministry, cabbage, tomato, pumpkin, carrot, lettuce, cucumber, pak choi and string beans will not be the answer. Most, if not all, of these can be grown in our backyards.
Will the minister please revisit the Agricultural Development Strategy 2003-2005, which was bequeathed to him? The dinosaur is ready to help.
Roger H.C. Clarke, MP, is the opposition spokesman on agriculture. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.
Published: Friday | May 6, 2011 3 Comments
Roger H.C. Clarke
Roger Clarke, GUEST COLUMNIST
There has been much discussion since Monday about spectacular growth in domestic agriculture, and even Wednesday morning an announcement of the relaunch of the backyard-garden programme which, in due course, will see more growth. I do understand the flurry of PR activity intended to pre-empt my presentation in Parliament.
I don't even question the veracity of the growth figures presented, as I have come to realise that neither floods nor droughts have any significant effect on domestic [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]agricultural[/COLOR][/COLOR] production these days.
It is easy also to bump up production in certain crops, many of which mature between six weeks and four months and are quite weighty. My concern, however, is the age-old problem of marketing.
It actually equates praedial larceny, as farmers, having spent on expensive imputs, see their produce being dumped or sold at knockdown prices.
So boasting about record-breaking production is really immaterial, excepting for PR purposes or satisfaction of one's ego.
One would think that with the advent of a bright, energetic young man whose discipline is marketing, backed by the requisite human and financial resources, viz budgetary provisions, hundreds of production and marketing organisations, one marketing officer for every parish, doubling of the extension service, significant registration of farmers, an agricultural business information system, packaging [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]houses[/COLOR][/COLOR], appointment of five wise men and, of course, a commendably supportive Gleaner Company, the problem of marketing would have been solved.
Interestingly, though, this is not the case, and we now see our farmers being trucked to these improvised markets to virtually compete among themselves for the disposal of their crops. At the end of the day, sometimes the farmer has to sell 20lb of cabbage to buy a $200 pack of Milo.
middlemen important
There is even talk of eliminating the middlemen. Some people don't understand that some of these middlemen act almost as bankers for some small farmers, even advancing them on a future crop based on relationships built up over the years.
Then there are the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]supermarkets[/COLOR][/COLOR] that have direct links with farmers. When these supermarket owners buy products from the farmers, package and prepare for sale, and then realise there is a farmers' market next door competing against them and they cannot dispose of the produce, and spoilage takes place, that is the end of that relationship.
Then there are also hagglers who go to the farmers' markets, buy at knockdown prices, and return to the formal market to sell.
Farmers do not want to go to market to sell; they want to stay on their farms and produce.
In this business of marketing perishable agricultural products, the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Government[/COLOR][/COLOR] must understand its role and decide whether it is going to pursue an Agricultural Marketing Corporation-type operation or play a coordinating role in terms of information and logistics. Properly organised farmers' organisations, buttressed by some concept of cooperatives, should be able to play a significant role.
I must also question the source of [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]funding[/COLOR][/COLOR] for these farmers' markets. Interestingly enough, not much was said about the rest of the sector - areas like citrus, coffee, bananas, sugar, inland fisheries, beef, dairy, apiculture, forestry, pork, eggs, poultry and, especially, rice, which was supposed to have reached a target of some 2,500 hectares by now.
Finally, if food security is the mantra of the ministry, cabbage, tomato, pumpkin, carrot, lettuce, cucumber, pak choi and string beans will not be the answer. Most, if not all, of these can be grown in our backyards.
Will the minister please revisit the Agricultural Development Strategy 2003-2005, which was bequeathed to him? The dinosaur is ready to help.
Roger H.C. Clarke, MP, is the opposition spokesman on agriculture. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.
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