Relevance of technology in a developing country like Jamaica

[Reggaedoc]

Jamaica's economic development in the long-run will, in my opinion, be greatly tied to her agricultural development. The sooner we come to that reality, will be the faster we get on the road to true, sustainable growth, and development. The haberdashers, the liquor importers, and the government don't seem to understand that fact. Grow food for local consumption and export and we have a win win situation. The question is, why would anyone want to invest in agriculture, when he stands the chance of losing 300 heads of livestock in one night?. Not very encouraging, but this is where technology and it's relevance to our local situation might be applicable.

I recall reading about the roll-out, with much fanfare, of a GPS navigation system in Jamaica, with the mapping done by the Geography or geology dept of the UWI. Do we really need(not want) that in Jamaica, or would the energy and resources be better spent in developing a trackable, implatable device for livestock, so that suffering farmers across the island can recover stolen animals, and thieves can be brought to book?. Isn't it the same basic technology, only that it might be more relevant to our overall development and a less of a conversation piece on the numerous, useless cocktail circuits
uptown?.

[Islandman]

It's something worth investigating. Presently there are many implantable microchips for domestic animals but the available ones don't appear to be GPS enabled. The ones that are GPS enabled are mostly embedded in collars , etc which would be useful for recovering lost animals but not stolen animals. Possibly there are already some more sophisticated products available for commercial livestock.

Our problem though is not usually the availability of technology, it is getting it implemented and used properly. If we can't even get small farmers to use synthetic yamsticks instead of chopping down all the trees, how will we be able to get them to implant a chip in their livestock?

[Reggaedoc]

It's something worth investigating. Presently there are many implantable microchips for domestic animals but the available ones don't appear to be GPS enabled. The ones that are GPS enabled are mostly embedded in collars , etc which would be useful for recovering lost animals but not stolen animals. Possibly there are already some more sophisticated products available for commercial livestock.

Our problem though is not usually the availability of technology, it is getting it implemented and used properly. If we can't even get small farmers to use synthetic yamsticks instead of chopping down all the trees, how will we be able to get them to implant a chip in their livestock?

Well, it is about educating the farmers. No farmer wants to lose his/her livestock.

[Islandman]

Its about educating the nation.

You would be surprised, sometimes it is not easy to convince people to do things that are clearly for their own good in the long run. Sometimes it is a communication problem, sometimes it is simply a lack of trust of an outsider.

Ask people who try educating fishermen about where and when to fish in certain places, ask the town prosecutor who is trying to put away the local thief, Miss Matty son.

[Assasin]

"Jamaica's economic development in the long-run will, in my opinion, be greatly tied to her agricultural development. "

Yes this is a big piece.

[Willi]

Agree on most points, except the GPS one. You conflating there.

The 2 have not much to do with each other. What you advocate for animal tracking is already there, RFID tech, a Lo-Jack for animals that is trackable on the cell tower network, no need for GPS as the animals are not exported.

The Geo-Informatics can also help with this, but the GPS guidance system can be a great boon for tourist transp and for tracking delivery service.

[Willi]

Perhaps its a solution for the bigger factory farms?

[Willi]

Belize did the fishing thing well, askordin' to the youtube video Peter R posted last year...

[Willi]

Yup...we are an Agro superpower in the waiting..

[Islandman]

Poised to take off, like most other things. LOL

BTW I have been reading more about the German apprenticeship/vocational training programs. I believe you were the one who mentioned it here some time ago. Sounds like a wikid system, it would be great if we could get HEART to close to that level.

[Reggaedoc]

Agree on most points, except the GPS one. You conflating there.

The 2 have not much to do with each other. What you advocate for animal tracking is already there, RFID tech, a Lo-Jack for animals that is trackable on the cell tower network, no need for GPS as the animals are not exported.

The Geo-Informatics can also help with this, but the GPS guidance system can be a great boon for tourist transp and for tracking delivery service.

Whether by cell or GPS it's all microwave, line-of-site technology, and whatever is more appropriate and cost effective. Tourists have been doing fine without GPS for the last 50 years, and I don't think that we have increased the number of mappable roads by a significant amount over the last 50 years. We may have fixed the surfaces, but there probably are more mappable roads in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, than in all of the county of Cornwall. So like I said, GPS navigation in Ja is probably more for ego stroking than for real pragmatic purposes. Like a solution seeking a problem. You know, you import a luxury car/SUV and it has this nice GPS system, so let's spend some scarce resources to get the navigation system functional, when these same brains should be focusing on helping us to apprehend goat thieves. Of course that doesn't have the same ring to it when you are popping champaign corks. One man's opinion.

[Assasin]

You nuh understand, the tief them day way ahead of the government agency. Based on what is reported the man them come with a gang of man with Guns and reap or take their choice animal and do what they want.

If they have GPS, they may find some GPS blocking device before that project is launch. The fact is you need a certain about of trust in the police, in the people and society for anything to work. The police might just use the GPS result to make himself more money.

It is a sad reality, I back the technology but we need more than just technology.

[Islandman]

Yup, on point

[Reggaedoc]

You nuh understand, the tief them day way ahead of the government agency. Based on what is reported the man them come with a gang of man with Guns and reap or take their choice animal and do what they want.

If they have GPS, they may find some GPS blocking device before that project is launch. The fact is you need a certain about of trust in the police, in the people and society for anything to work. The police might just use the GPS result to make himself more money.

It is a sad reality, I back the technology but we need more than just technology.

You probably right Sass. It is hard to fathom stealing nearly 30 dozen animals in one night, in a small country, and the police are clueless about it. When all is said and done, the damn police might even be involved in the planning and/or execution of the heist. Unbelievable.

[Willi]

Wikid!!! In fact, dem have it in Switzerland too...