Government

VOL. 28 NO. 1 • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 FREE COPY WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

Is Pulling
out of JAS By Patrick Maitland

M
Pandohie Chairs
Editor-The Agriculturalist RICHARD PANDOHIE
Chairman, Board of Directors

embers of the Jamaica Agricultural Society

Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority

(JAS) say they are shocked and “surprised”

JACRA Board
by the government’s decision to pull out of the gov-
ernance structure of the 123-year-old society and
will cut off its annual subvention of up to $88 mil-
lion.
Donovan Stanberry, the permanent secretary in
the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture
See page 5
and Fisheries, told the JAS board of management
meeting on Jan. 17 that plans are in place to revoke
the Jamaica Agricultural Society Incorporation Act
of June 19, 1941, which established the society as
an agent of the government.
The Board was asked to propose a new opera-
tional structure, which would exclude the govern-
ment or its agencies. Stanberry, however, noted that
the ministry would settle redundancy and other ter-
mination expenses of the JAS’s 64 staff members.
Norman Grant, president of the JAS, told The
Agriculturalist that it came as a surprise to the board
of management of the society that the Cabinet de-
cided to repeal the 1941 Act. NORMAN GRANT
“We have since replied to the Ministry asking President, JAS
for further discussions to better understand the con- ‘It came as a surprise’
sequences of such a decision as well as how those stakeholders including our staff. The JAS don’t want
will be addressed and what is the desired timetable,” to pre-empt the outcome of the process at this time.”
Grant explained. “The Board is studying the Cabi- The new JAS without government support will
net’s position which came to us as a surprise.” top the agenda at the Feb. 21 monthly board meet-
He added that they would “do what is in the ing of the Society.
best interest of our farmers, members and other Continued on page 7
2 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

JACRA and stakeholders
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM
should unite to save our crops
A fter some five years in the making, the
government on new year’s day offi-
cially implemented the Jamaica Agricul-
tural Commodities Authority (JACRA),
which is expected to strengthen the leg-
islative framework to support sustainable
development in agriculture, manufactur-
ing, industry, and commerce.
JACRA was established with the
blessings of five ministers of agriculture,
including Roger Clarke, Christopher
Tufton, Robert Montague, Derrick Kellier
and Karl Samuda under the direction of
permanent secretary Donovan Stanberry.
The authority replaces and merges the
existing Coffee Industry Board, Cocoa In-
dustry Board, the regulatory functions of
the Coconut Industry Board and the Export
Division of the ministry.
These commodities have the potential
to contribute up to 60 percent of the is-
land’s export earnings and perhaps 40 per-
cent of the farm jobs market.
Fertilizer - An Expense or an Investment?
The opinions expressed in this newspaper, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Agriculturalist and its publishers. Please send your com-
ments or suggestions to editor@theagriculturalist.com. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all articles will be published.
A lmost ten years ago when I decided to go into farming/agriculture, I met a gen-
tleman by the name of Webster McPherson. I vividly remember him teaching a
group of eager potential Greenhouse farmers in the salubrious hills of Christiana,
Manchester telling farmers "fertilizer is not an expense, it is an investment."
Those persons who were already in tra-
ditional farming rolled their eyes or grunted
disapprovingly at him. We could not com-
prehend or wanted to understand the ‘crazi-
ness' he was uttering.
Fast forward a few years later, and I
joined Newport Fersan (Jamaica) Limited
(NFJ) the premiere fertilizer company in Ja-
maica as their Sales Manager. As you can
imagine the main role of marketing is try-
ing to convince farmers to look at fertilizer
as an investment and not an expense.
This provocative statement has lin-
gered with me over the years especially
when I hear farmers saying fertilizer is ‘ex-
pensive.' I have finally decided to take the
bull by the horns and step boldly out to give
credence to the statement and shed some
light as to why Webster was indeed right
and not crazy.
If you have a sum of money in the bank
and continuously withdraw from it without
making a lodgment, at some point the bank
account will become empty. The soil is not
any different; whatever you are planting re-
quires a certain amount of nutrients to reap
the benefit.
As farmers, we must first appreciate
that after years of depleting our soils at
some point we have to give back (make a
lodgment) if we are to reap the benefits, re-
wards or gains of our labour. If we are to
honestly believe "our wealth is in the soil,"
then it is only reasonable that we invest to
EDITORIAL
The so-called traditional export crops
— coffee, cocoa, coconut, ginger, pimento
and other spices—have been around
for decades and have contributed
to the wealth creation of thou-
sands of farmers and families.
They have also been signifi-
cant contributors to the island’s
Gross Domestic Products
(GDP).
Taking on the responsibili-
ties of five agencies, JACRA has
taken on the formidable task of
transforming and growing Jamaica’s
traditional crops in an environ-
ment that is changing with tricky
challenges but vast opportunities.
We must preserve the legacy
of coffee, cocoa, coconut, ginger
and pimento on the international
market because they are regarded as
among the best products coming out
of Jamaica.
gain the interest (yields) necessary to make
our efforts worthwhile.
So let us look at fertilizer, what is it and
why is it important? The Oxford Dictionary
describes it as "a chemical or natural sub-
stance added to soil or land to increase its
fertility." Its importance in plant growth is
to increase fertility in order to increase your
yields. But how is the farmer convinced that
it is an investment and not an expense?
First, he/she should know some funda-
mentals, what we call the four (4) ‘R's of
fertilizing – Right Source, Right Rate, Right
Time and the Right Place.
For this example Farmer X is planting
Irish Potato at a plant density of 17,000
seeds to the acre at an investment (cost) of
$6,000 per 50kg bag with the desired mini-
mum yield of 17,000 lbs:
1. Right source – Potato Lizer Starta
and Finisha (or exact nutrient requirement
– Precise Nutrient Management System)
2. Right rate – 2(50kg) bags of Potato
Lizer Starta and 5 (50kg) bags of Potato
Lizer Finisha
3. Right time – 2 bags of Starta at plant-
ing and 5 bags of Finisha at moulding
4. Right Place – 2 inches from the
seeds at planting for the Starta and at
moulding for the Finisha
The above meant that Farmer X has
just invested $42,000 ($6,000 x 7 bags) per
acre for 17,000 seeds. This calculates to
$2.47 ($42,000/17,000 seeds) per seed.
FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 3
However, many farmers, agricultural-
ists, and other stakeholders are
not happy with aspects of
the JACRA. Among
the many criticisms,
they argue “the
JACRA Act did not
embrace the mod-
ern environment
changes which make
aspects of acts obso-
lete.”
In our opinion, most
stakeholders are in support
of JACRA, but they are very
disappointed about aspect of
the regulations, arguing that it
was not “business friendly”
and may become a deterrent
to the very crops they were are
seeking to promote.
However, we are optimistic that
someone is listening to the farmers’
concern and are addressing the is-
sues.
By
HEDDA ROSE PITTER
Business Development Manager
Newport-Fersan (Jamaica) Limited
If the farmer sells his/her potatoes at a
price of $50/lb he/she will earn $850,000
($50 x 17,000lbs) while spending $42,000
on fertilizer. Was this an expense or an in-
vestment?
Let us use another example: Coffee at
a density of 870 plants/acre at an investment
(cost) of $3,300/50lb bag of fertilizer with
the desired yield of 150 boxes per acre.
1. Right source - Coffee Lizer (or exact
nutrient requirement – Precise Nutrient
Management System)
With the production and export of cof-
fee, cocoa and coconut and spices at their
lowest level of output, we cannot afford for
JACRA to fail.
But, JACRA cannot survive without a
strong pool of farmers and agri-investors
producing and trading the crops on a sus-
tainable basis.
On the other hand, farmers need a
JACRA to create a fair and balanced envi-
ronment for producers and traders.
As much as JACRA is needed to save
our traditional crops, it will take a strong
partnership with farmers and traders to get
the job done.
An environment of hostility and turf-
protection will not work or benefit the agri-
cultural sector.
Therefore, farmers, government regu-
lators and stakeholders organizations
should unite to save our traditional com-
modities.
Patrick Mailand
Editor-The Agricuclturalist
2. Right Rate – 9 (50lb) bags per acre
(8oz per plant (for the year)
3. Right Time – pre-flowering and post-
flowering
4. Right Place – buried along the leaf
drip circle
The above meant that Farmer X has
just invested $29,000 ($3,300 x 9 bags) per
acre at 870 plants. This calculates to $33.33
($29,000/870 plants) per plant.
If the farmer sold his/her coffee at
$4,000/box then he/she will earn $600,000
($4,000 x 150 boxes) while spending
$29,000 on fertilizer.
Was this an investment or a cost?
Continued on page 4
Send your press releases and photos
editor@theagriculturalist.com
Publisher & Editor:
Patrick Maitland
Consulting Editors:
Vincent Wright, Jairzenho Bailey
Produced & Published by:
Agri Life Foundation Ltd
AMC Complex,
188 Spanish Town Road,
Kingston 11, Jamaica, W.I.
Tel: (876) 923-7471• 923-7428
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 NEWS
4 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

Knockalva Agricultural School to be upgraded

M
MONTEGO BAY, Feb. 1 (JIS): High School in disciplines such as maritime logistics and
inister of Education, Youth and Infor- Montego Bay, as business process outsourcing (BPO) are being
mation, Senator the Ruel Reid, says the well as Anchovy considered.
Knockalva Agricultural School in Ramble, High School and “We will be bringing education to the
Hanover, will be upgraded to a polytechnic Knockalva Techni- community, which was the original concept
institution in the very near future. cal High School. of community colleges, so you don’t have to
“This school fits very neatly in our K (kinder- The Minister go off to Kingston or Montego Bay. Right
garten) to 18 strategy. It is now viewed as a said the Knockalva here in this community, tertiary education will
post-secondary (institution), and it needs to Agricultural become available to the young people and
be reclassified and upgraded to become a full School is in the adults,” he said.
polytechnic, as we have done with the Trench process of “re- “The Caribbean Maritime University
Town Polytechnic. That will attract tertiary- defining itself”, (CMU) and The Mico University College will
level programmes, so that the students can and whilst the pro- also be partnering with them to build them up,
achieve better certification and be better motion of agricul- and so participants in that programme will get
RUEL REID
aligned to industry,” the Minister said. ture, agricultural Mico certification depending on what they
He was speaking with JIS News follow- science “and all the different skill sets and oc- want to do, or Caribbean Maritime University
ANTHONY 'SLEEPY' BARRETT

Anthony 'Sleepy'
ing a visit to the institution on Tuesday (Jan- cupations and professions related to agricul- qualifications or other tertiary qualifications,”

Old Farmers bid farewell to Donovan Hill

uary 30). The Minister also visited St. James ture will continue to be its key focus, other the Minister added. April 16, 1960-January 25, 2018

Barrett died
A griculturalist Anthony 'Sleepy' Barrett
died on Thursday, January 25, 2018
after valiantly battling colon cancer.
He was 58.
Barrett gave several decades of unstint-
ing and dedicated service to Jamaican agri-
culture including poultry production working
his way from poultry serviceman to divi-
sional manager with Caribbean Broilers
Group.
The service of thanksgiving for life and
work of Barrett will take place on Friday,
February 16, 2018 at Webster Memorial
United Church, 53 Half-Way-Tree Road,
Kingston 10 commencing at 10:00 am.
Barrett is survived by wife Marlene, two
children Andrew and Anna-Kaye, mother, fa-

Fertilizer - An
ther and other relatives.

Expense or an
Investment?
Colleagues including Dalton 'Bigbird' Brown and Donald 'Rat Bat' Richards pose with the casket of the late Donovan "Panel" Continued from page 3
Hill during a memorial service at College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), in Portland
Over the years I have not just learned
but come to appreciate the best way to con-
vince farmers is through ‘show and tell.' We
can take any crop and apply the same prin-
ciples above to show the returns on his/her
investment when purchasing fertilizer.
Of course, there are other variables
(labour cost, pesticide cost, etc.) to be taken
into consideration but the bottom line is that
the farmer can now know the correct calcu-
lation of their fertilizer investment.
Let me thank Webster McPherson for
his provocative statement which started this
conversation. As NFJ's Business Develop-
ment Manager, I appreciate the support
from our farmers when they purchase the
FERSAN brand of fertilizer.
There is an even greater appreciation
and satisfaction that we get when our team
of experts can guide our farmers to realize
their best potential and reap the rewards of
their labour.
Farmers, keep on investing and reap-
Robert Montague, Minister of National Security (3rd l) shares a light moment with his former college mates and colleagues ing the wealth that is in your soil. Remem-
at a thanksgiving service for senior lecturer in economics and entrepreneurship at the College of Agriculture, Science and ber fertilizer is an investment, not an
Education (CASE) Donovan "Panel" Hill which was held at the TP Lecky Theater, CASE, Passley Garden, Portland on Janu- expense!
ary 21, 2018. Also in photo (l-r) are Everett Hyatt, Michael Robinson, Winston Jones, Lincoln Davy, Phillip Reid and Nicky Hedda Rose Pitter
Crawford. h.pitter@newportfersan.com
 NEWS
Pandohie chairs JACRA board
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 5

C
By Patrick Maitland
Editor-The Agriculturalist
hief Executive Officer and Managing
Director of Seprod Limited, Richard
Pandohie, has been appointed chairman of
board of directors of the recently estab-
lished government regulatory agency, Ja-
maica Agricultural Commodities
Regulatory Authority (JACRA), effective
Jan. 1, 2018.
Other board members appointed by
Agriculture Minister Karl Samuda are: Co-
conut farmer Steven Black; Coffee grower
John Minott; Cocoa farmer Glendon
Davis; Principal Director in the Ministry of
Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fish-
eries, Shaun Baugh, and Attorney-at-law at
the Ministry, Evette Southerland-Reid.

Gusland McCook, Acting CEO

The acting CEO of the outgoing Cof-
fee Industry Board, Gusland McCook, was
GUSLAND MCCOOK
RICHARD PANDOHIE Acting CEO, JACRA
appointed acting director general of
Chairman,
JACRA.
Jamaica Agricultural According to Minister Samuda,
The Authority replaces the existing
Commodities JACRA will be responsible for the devel-
Coffee Industry Board, Cocoa Industry
Regulatory Authority opment, regulation, promotion, and stan-
Board, the regulatory functions of the Co-
(JACRA) dardization of the agricultural commodities

APPOINTMENTS
conut Industry Board and the Export Divi-
industry.
sion of the ministry.

Courtney Cole: Kevin Condappa:

Project Manager and former acting
CEO of Agri Invest Corporation has
been appointed Chief Technical Direc-
tor/Special Project in the Ministry of
Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and
Fisheries effective January 8, 2018.
Director of Agri-Business and Market
Distribution at the Ministry of Industry,
Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries
was recently promoted to Director of
Agricultural Services replacing Sando
Pike who is on pre-retirement leave.

Get your copy of

FARMERS
ALMANAC 2018
Call 923-7471
agriculturalist@gmail.com
6 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

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JB launches the Caribbean largest Pellet Mill
T he Jamaica Broilers Group
has commissioned a third
pellet mill at its feed mill at Free-
town, St. Catherine. The US$2
million investment will increase
the production capacity to 350-
thousand tonnes per year, making
the facility the largest feed mill in
the region.
Speaking at the commission-
ing ceremony on December 14,
2017 Christopher Levy, President
& CEO of Jamaica Broilers
Group said “the growth in the
local poultry and egg industries
begins with good quality animal
feed. And the Hi-Pro pellet mill
is where vegetable protein is con-
verted into digestible protein so
farmers can grow healthy ani-
mals.”
He noted that the dairy in-
dustry was also growing, with the
conversation around breeds and
better production. “This shows
that the agricultural sector cannot
be taken for granted. Farmers are
the backbone of this country as
they provide more employment
than any other sector. Therefore,
our mission at Jamaica Broilers is
seek to facilitate the sustainabil-
ity of the island’s small farmers,
because when the farmers grow,
we grow,” Mr. Levy said.
Government
Pulling out of JAS
Continued from page 1
Minister without portfolio in
the Ministry of Industry, Com-
merce, Agriculture and Fisheries,
Agriculture, JC Hutchinson, told
The Agriculturalist that he was
not aware of any plans by the
government to shut down the
JAS or to immediately stop its fi-
nancial support in favour of an-
other organization.
The Minister explained that
they (Gov) were simply “echoing
the sentiments” of the public that
the JAS “should undergo man-
agement and operational changes
as the present structure is not ad-
equately serving the farmers.”
A strong advocate for the
Producers Marketing Organiza-
tion (PMO), Hutchinson noted
that he is also a supporter of other
farmers’ organizations/lobby
groups, including the JAS, as
there are spaces for each group to
operate as they seek to address
the needs of farmers.
“It is not the aim of the gov-
ernment to shut down farmers’
organization, but rather to partner
with them in the delivery of sup-
Agriculture Minister Karl Samuda (4th l) joins executives of the Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG) in celebrating the launch of the com-
pany’s third pellet mill operations at Freetown, St. Catherine on December 14, 2017. The US$2 million investment will increase the
production capacity to 350-thousand tonnes per year, making the facility the largest feed mill in the region. Also in photo (l-r) are
John Carberry, General Operations Manager, Best Dressed Feeds Mill; Christopher Levy, President & CEO, JBG; Robert Levy,
Chairman, JBG and Conley Salmon, President, Jamaica Operations, JBG.
Levy said that Jamaica Broil-
ers Group was now a multi-bil-
lion dollar operation in three
countries which began 60 years
ago by producing 10-thousand
port services to farmers in need,”
he noted.
However, the recent reestab-
lishment of the PMO has been
blamed for the almost 50 percent
decline in paid-up membership
dues for the JAS during the 2016-
2017 year. As of March 2017,
JAS paid-up membership stood
at 2,316 compared with 4,389 at
the end of the 2016 period.
The Society’s overall rev-
enue jumped to $104.3 million as
a result of an estimated $9 mil-
lion each in subventions/grants
from Government and surplus
from self-financing activities.
The Government contribution of
$88.7 million remained the most
significant contributor's to the
JAS revenue.
With some $500 million in
assets -- including lands and
building, as well as stocks and
bonds -- agricultural stakeholders
are worried that the withdrawal
of government support could be
leading to the demise of JAS,
which continues to represent the
interest of thousands of farmers
as well as the staging of the
NEWS
chickens a week, moving to 12-
thousand birds a day. But he
pointed out that the company’s
core business remained in Ja-
maica.
Caribbean premier agricultural
exhibition, Denbigh Agricultural
and Industrial Show.
The JAS was formed in
1895 under the instruction of the
then Governor General of Ja-
maica, Sir Henry Blake, to stim-
ulate interest of all categories of
farmers in the island in agricul-
tural pursuits, and to establish a
forum where all farmers could
meet, discuss their problems to
initiate plans, elect officers and to
do all other things necessary for
the welfare of the farming com-
munity.
It is the oldest most deeply
rooted organization in rural agri-
cultural development in the
Caribbean.
However, the Jamaican par-
liament passed the “Jamaica Agri-
cultural Society Incorporation
Act” of June 19, 1941, establish-
ing the JAS an agency of the Min-
istry of Agriculture and Fisheries
to serve as an umbrella organiza-
tion consisting of varied affiliated
commodity boards and associa-
tions. The Act has been amended
in 1968, 1978 and 1996.
FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 7
Over the past five years, Currently Hi-Pro has about
sales of Hi-Pro chicks and broiler 60 per cent market share of all
feeds have increased by about 20 feeds sold in Jamaica.
per cent, with layer feeds having
grown by 10 per cent.
Nutraceuticals will not
generate much wealth
for Jamaica
S
carce Commodity - an organisation dedicated to exploring the
economic benefits of a regional ganja industry, says pursuing nu-
traceuticals alone from ganja, will not generate much wealth for the
country.
Dr. K'adamawe Knife, Coordinator for Enterprise Development
and Strategic Planning at Scarce Commodity, says more money can
be made by extracting certain active ingredients in ganja and putting
them in functional foods.
Meanwhile, there are plans to list at least three companies deal-
ing in ganja products on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Dr. Haughton, says he is working with the Jamaica Stock Ex-
change to develop a nano stock exchange.
He said the ganja companies will be listed through that nano
stock exchange.
The nano stock exchange which is scheduled to be launched
later this year, will allow consumers to purchase stocks and bonds
using a mobile device
Jamaican Teas sees 9%
———————————————
rise in profit after tax
J
amaican Teas says profit after tax rose nine per cent from $47 mil-
lion to $51 million in the first quarter ending December 2017.
Sales increased by 22 per cent from $374 million in 2016 to
$456 million this quarter.
Earnings per share after discontinued operations moved from
6.8 cents in 2016 to 7.6 cents.
-Source: radiojamaica.com
8 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

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Agri ministry provides $4200m for farm roads and assistance to farmers
Karl Samuda (c) Minister of Industry,
Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries,
tours banana farm of Winsome Cros-
dale (r) in Canewood, Portland on on
February 1, which was severely im-
pacted by the flooding caused by the
recent rains. Minister Samuda was ac-
companied by representatives of the
Rural Agricultural Development Au-
thority, including Peter Thompson (l),
chief executive officer, and Michael
Stern (in the background), chairman.
According to Crosdale, some 40 per
cent of the mature fruits on the 10-
acre property were lost, the irrigation
system was disrupted and rubble from
the Swift River was deposited on to
the property. Minister Samuda said by
the end of March 2018, $320m will be
spent on the repair of farm roads is-
landwide. In addition, $100m will be
provided in assistance to farmers who
were impacted by the recent flooding
in the most devastated areas. The
agriculture minister advised that of
the $420m, Portland will be receiving
just under $25m for repair of farm
roads and $30m from the Ministry’s
Productivity Incentive Scheme to-
wards assistance for farmers who
were severely affected by the flood-
ing.

RADA
fast-tracking
assistance
to farmers
C hairman of the Rural Agricultural De-
velopment Authority (RADA), Michael
Stern, said his agency is fast-tracking assis-
tanc to some 298 farmers affected by flood-
ing in Portland.
Addressing a farmers’ meeting at the
Orange Bay Church of God of Prophecy in
the parish on February 1, following a tour of
the flood-ravaged farms, Stern said “RADA
is committed to working with you to make
an impact on the economic development.”
Member of Parliament for West Port-
land, Daryl Vaz, assured that “we’re going
to try and help all who have suffered dam-
age to get back on their feet.”
He hailed Newport-Fersan Jamaica
Limited for its contribution of fertiliser to
the farmers, and appealed for further pri-
vate-sector support.
He mentioned that China Harbour En-
gineering Company (CHEC) Limited has
been called on to desilt some areas of the
Swift River.
Meanwhile, Vaz, who is Minister with-
out Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic
Growth and Job Creation, said that the Gov-
ernment will be examining every parish to
“see what leases the Commissioner of Lands
has for large parcels of land for farming”.
“Where we see that they are not being
utilised to the maximum, we will allow the BANANA AND PLANTAIN VALUE-ADDED FACILITY:
lessee to keep what he can manage and re- Donald Elvey (l), General Manager of the All-Island Banana Growers’ Association, shows J.C. Hutchinson , Minister with
distribute by way of lease one- to five-acre out Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (r), and banana farmers equipment to be in-
lots, for the small farmers of Jamaica,” he stalled at the newly constructed banana and plantain value-added facility, built under the Jamaica Banana Accompanying
said. Measures Programme, at Trinity in St. Mary during a tour of the facility on February 2.
10 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

Hague Show focuses on ‘climate smart practices’

HAGUE AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK SHOW

T he Trelawny Association of Branch

Societies of the Jamaica Agricultural
Society will be hosting the 62nd annual
Hague Agricultural and Livestock Show
on Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the
Hague Show Grounds in Trelawny.
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agri-
culture and Fisheries Karl Samuda will
be the guest speaker.
Under theme For Sustainable Liveli-
hood, Restore the Love for Agriculture
through Climate Smart Practices, the
Hague Agricultural Show, organised by
the Jamaica Agricultural Society, is a sta-
ple both in the parish and the national
calendar and is a forerunner of the other
parish agricultural shows, which will
take place throughout the year.
The Hague Show over the years show-
cases agricultural produce and livestock
focusing on farmers in Trelawny and
surrounding areas as well as highlight-
labour of love that they put into the farm-
ing sector.
The show will also feature activities
from Trelawny Farm queen contestants,
Jamaica 4H Club, horticultural display,
a children village, farmers market and a
culinary demonstration by the local chef
in food preparation.
A stage show featuring a live band as
well as a gospel concert will provide en-
tertainment for showgoers.
The primary sponsors include Ministry
of Agriculture Industry Commerce and
Fisheries, Hi-Pro Farm Supplies a sub-
sidiary of Jamaica Broilers Group and T
Geddes Grant.
Participating stakeholders include
Fersan, H&L Agro, St. Jago Farm Sup-
plies and many more.
Several Trelawny based agriculture
companies will also display their prod-
ucts such as Advance Farm, Valley

Restore the Love for Agriculture through Climate Smart Practices

ing their continuous hard work and Fruits, and King Pepper.

O
By Norman Grant
President, JAS
n behalf of the Jamaica Agricultural
Society and its board of manage-
ment, we are enthused that the Trelawny
Association of Branch Societies carries
the mantle of staging the 62nd Annual
Hague Agricultural and Livestock Show
schedule for February 14, 2018, under
the theme “For Sustainable Livelihood,
Restore the Love for Agriculture through
Climate Smart Practices.”
The Hague Show over the years
showcases agricultural produce and live-
stock focusing on farmers in Trelawny
and surrounding areas; highlighting their
continuous hard work and labour of love
that they put into the agricultural sector
as the parish hosts 9,294 of the total reg-
ister farmers that accounts for 4.7% of Trelawny Farm Queens Contestants
our national register farmers. As last year heavy and continuous As the voice of the farmers of Ja-
With the focus on highlighting the rainfall cause flooding and damages to maica; the JAS continues to provide sup-
importance of agricultural sustainability the agricultural sector and infrastructure port on various opportunities for growth
through the adaptation of climate-smart accumulating to over $500 million Ja- and the support systems available to
practices; farmers and stakeholders in maican dollars. achieve that growth in the agriculture
the sector should seek to learn strategies sector.
and the best methods for mitigation Carlton Smith
against potential disasters. Champion Cattle Farmer

Tropical
GET YOUR COPY OF THE

Farmers’
Almanac
Call
now
... 923-7471
 SAVE JAMAICA FARMLAND PROJECT
Jamaica most fertile farmlands are disappearing
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM
T he parishes of St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew in the east and
Clarendon to the west have some 43,617 hectares of the island most
fertile land that is considered suitable for agriculture.
These soils are divided into three cat-
egories namely class 1 with an acreage of
9,091 hectares with no limitation hindering
production, class 2 with an acreage of
11,273 hectares of land with moderate lim-
itations to production and class 3 with an
acreage of 23,254 hectares with strong lim-
itations to production such as being highly
erosive, has poor drainage and the soils are
very shallow.
The crops suitable to be grown on
class 1-3 lands are mostly banana, sugar
cane, citrus, coffee cocoa, coconut, rice, pi-
mento, tobacco, pineapple, ground provi-
sion, fruit trees, livestock inclusive of beef,
mutton, pigs goats. However mixed farm-
ing is the dominant farming practice
throughout the parish.
However over the last 50 years those
lands considered suitable for agriculture
has been significantly reduced due to urban
encroachment. The figure for urban en-
croachment as moved from 729 hectares to
14,166 hectares which indicates a whop-
ping 100 percent increase in urbanization.
This further indicates that over 32.5 per-
cent of those lands that should be reserved
for food production have been dominated
by the demand for housing.
If this trend continues by the next 20
years over 50 percent of all arable lands in
St Catherine will be out of agricultural pro-
duction, hence our 2030 Vision goal of
“enhancing local food production,” will be
a pipe dream as most of our most produc-
tive lands will be gone into housing.
One of the major reasons for this is
that most of our prime agricultural lands
are not in production hence these are the
lands being targeted by developers as these
lands are cheaper for acquisition and
S oils are complex mixtures of minerals,
water, air, organic matter, and countless
organisms that are the decaying remains of
once-living things. It forms at the surface of
land – it is the “skin of the earth.” Soil is ca-
pable of supporting plant life and is vital to
life on earth.
Soil, as formally defined in the Soil Sci-
ence Society of America Glossary of Soil Sci-
ence Terms, is:
The unconsolidated mineral or organic
material on the immediate surface of the earth
that serves as a natural medium for the
growth of land plants.
The unconsolidated mineral or organic mat-
ter on the surface of the earth that has been
subjected to and shows effects of genetic and
environmental factors of: climate (including
water and temperature effects), and macro-
and microorganisms, conditioned by relief,
acting on parent material over a period of
time.
So then, what is dirt? Dirt is what gets
on our clothes or under our fingernails. It is
soil that is out of place in our world – whether
tracked inside by shoes or on our clothes.
cheaper to be handled. Major roads also
border most of these lands with easy access
to water and electricity.
It is therefore recommended that the
powers that be draft legislation to protect
arable lands that they be not left idle but be
in production at all times.
About our soil – Class 1-3
The breakdown of the soils found in
the parishes are as such:
The soils on the upland that is the
steeper section of the island are Diamond
clay loam, Donnington gravelly loam, Flint
River sandy loam, Halls Delight channery
clay loam these are excessively to well
drained, shallow and highly erodible with
low to moderate fertility.
Halls Delight channery clay is more
fertile in small outcrops and is mostly
found in poor pasture or peasant cultiva-
tion.
What is soil?
Houses now on prime farmlands in St. Catherine
Dirt is also soil that has lost the charac-
teristics that give it the ability to support life
– it is “dead.”
Soil performs many critical functions in
almost any ecosystem (whether a farm, for-
est, prairie, marsh, or suburban watershed).
There are seven general roles that soils play:
Soils serve as media for growth of all
kinds of plants.
Soils modify the atmosphere by emitting
and absorbing gases (carbon dioxide,
methane, water vapor, and the like) and dust.
Soils provide habitat for animals that
live in the soil (such as groundhogs and mice)
to organisms (such as bacteria and fungi), that
account for most of the living things on Earth.
Soils absorb, hold, release, alter, and pu-
rify most of the water in terrestrial systems.
Soils process recycled nutrients, includ-
ing carbon, so that living things can use them
over and over again.
Soils serve as engineering media for con-
struction of foundations, roadbeds, dams and
buildings, and preserve or destroy artifacts of
human endeavors.
Soils act as a living filter to clean water be-
fore it moves into an aquifer.
FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 11
By
MARVALEE WALKER
Land Capability Planner
Agriculture Land
Management Division
cathotcenter@yahoo.com
Soil Profile
There are different types of soil, each
with its own set of characteristics. Dig down
deep into any soil, and you’ll see that it is
made of layers, or horizons (O, A, E, B, C,
R). Put the horizons together, and they form a
soil profile. Like a biography, each profile
tells a story about the life of a soil. Most soils
have three major horizons (A, B, C) and some
have an organic horizon (O).
The mid-section of the parish occupy-
ing the lower slopes are predominantly red
and are classified as St Ann clay loam
which vary from flat to very steep, are ex-
cessively well drained with fertility oc-
curring on top thin layer of organic matter
which has poor water retention, doughti-
ness and high erodibility.
The soil types in this section of the
parish are Lucky Hill clay loam, St Ann
clay loam in association with Bonygate
stony loam which displays a well-drained
top soil with a poorer draining subsoil of
variable depth with good water retention
and has fair to high natural fertility.
Carron Hall clay loam also occurs in
this area and is fairly well drained, has
good water holding retention capacity, low
erodibility but its shallow depth on these
steeper slopes is a serious limitation to crop
production.
The more productive soils are those
found on the plains and are arrears of re-
cent alluvium with a loamy or sandy tex-
ture. These soils are inclusive of Lluidas
gravelly sandy loam, Caymanas clay loam
and sandy loam whish are of extensive
acreage and occurs in the Plains .These
soils are excessive to well drained and are
of high natural fertility. These soils as men-
tioned before are extremely productive
when irrigated. Their main limitation how-
ever is lack of structure due to overpro-
duction.
Whim sandy loam and clay loam are
alluvials found on flood plains on some of
the minor rivers with drainage been good
to moderate depending on texture, have
high natural fertility and are not prone to
erosion.
Other soils occurring in the plains
have salinity issues, drainage problems and
erosion problems.
The horizons are: Soil Profile
O – (humus or organic) Mostly organic mat-
ter such as decomposing leaves. The O hori-
zon is thin in some soils, thick in others, and
not present at all in others.
A - (topsoil) Mostly minerals from parent ma-
terial with organic matter incorporated. A
good material for plants and other organisms
to live.
E – (eluviated) Leached of clay, minerals, and
organic matter, leaving a concentration of
sand and silt particles of quartz or other re-
sistant materials – missing in some soils but
often found in older soils and forest soils.
B – (subsoil) Rich in minerals that leached
(moved down) from the A or E horizons and
accumulated here.
C – (parent material) The deposit at Earth’s
surface from which the soil developed.
R – (bedrock) A mass of rock such as granite,
basalt, quartzite, limestone or sandstone that
forms the parent material for some soils – if
the bedrock is close enough to the surface to
weather. This is not soil and is located under
the C horizon.
12 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.AGRIGRICULTURALIST.COM

FAO Regional
Conference for
Montego Bay-
March 5-8

R
By Chrishane Williams
Chrishane.Williams@fao.org

ising hunger and obesity, climate

change and rural poverty; these will
be the main issues of the 35th Regional
Conference of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations.
The 35th Conference will take place
from 5-8 of March 2018, in Montego
Bay and is FAO’s main governing body.
Agriculture Ministers from all of
FAO’s 33 member countries in Latin
America and the Caribbean will come
together in Jamaica to set the Organiza-
tion’s priorities for the next two years.
The meeting will be attended by
FAO’s Director General, José Graziano
da Silva and Ministers of Agriculture,
Education, Social Development and En-

The Smiling Veterinarians:

vironment from the region.
According to FAO, this year’s Con-
ference is of particular importance,
since, for the first time in decades, Jamaica’s senior veterinarians smile for the camera (l-r) General manager, Serge Island Farms, Dr. Gavin Bellamy; Win-
hunger is once again on the rise in Latin
dalco’s Veterinarian Dr. Clover Mattocks; Senior Veterinarian, Jamaica Broilers Group, Dr. Michael Motta; Senior Veteri-
America and the Caribbean.
nary Officer, Jamaica Horse Racing Commission, Dr. Sophia Ramdal; and Veterinary specialist at the Ministry of Industry,
Commerce, Agriculture & Fisheries, Dr. Kevin C. Walker were speakers at the Jamaica Dairy Development Board Stake-

Tackling rising
holders’ Conference held on December 15, 2017 in Kingston. The conference aimed to sensitize and receive feedback
from stakeholders on the future development pathway for the Jamaica dairy industry.
hunger and obesity
According to FAO, hunger has risen
again in Latin America and the
Caribbean for the first time in decades,
reaching 42.5 million, while obesity af-
fects 96 million people.
The FAO Conference is a unique
opportunity for countries to call for an
immediate and large-scale push, without
which the region will not be able to
reach the second Sustainable Develop-
ment Goal: zero hunger by 2030.

Putting an end to rural poverty

Rural poverty reduction has de-
clined in the region. Currently, more
than 20% of rural inhabitants cannot af-
ford a basic food basket. Thousands of
people are migrating to and from coun-
tries, escaping violence, lack of oppor-
tunities, poverty or environmental risks.
The FAO Regional Conference will
allow countries to share public policies
that increase the pace of rural poverty
reduction, thereby revitalizing rural
areas both economically and socially.

Promoting climate resilient Veterinary Services Diagnostic Lab Accredited for Testing of Fish:
sustainable agriculture
According to FAO, Latin America
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Karl Samuda (second left), hands over the accreditation cer-
and the Caribbean must produce more,
tificate for the Veterinary Services Diagnostic Laboratory (VSDL) to Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Osbil Watson (third left)

while reducing greenhouse gas emis-

during a ceremony at VSDL’s offices on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew on January 31. Others (from left) are Permanent Sec-

Book your advert in..

retary in the Ministry, Donovan Stanberry; Chief Executive Officer, Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC),
sions and developing sustainable prac- Sharonmae Shirley; Chairman, JANAAC, Simon Roberts; and Quality Manager, VSDL, Tricia Fraser.
tices to adapt production systems to new
climatic conditions.

The Agriculturalist
The Regional Conference will
allow countries to promote a fully sus-
tainable agriculture, resilient to climate
change and better prepared to face natu-

Call 923-7471 • agriculturalist@gmail.com

ral disasters.
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 13

PIG HUSBANDRY LECTURE SERIES

Hi-Pro recently launched a lecture series on Pig Husbandry at the Ebony Park Heart Academy. The Hi-Pro veterinary team kicked this project into high gear by pre-
senting each student with a copy of the Hi-Pro Pig Feed & Management Guide, being used as part of their training syllabus. A number of copies were also gifted to
the institution library as a resource on best practices. In photo (l-r) Robert Green, director principal, Ebony Park HEART Academy; Selma Khani, Senior Instructor
Livestock, Michael Motta, Senior Veterinarian, Hi-Pro; Sasha Shim-Hue, Deputy Manager, Ebony Park HEART Academy, and Claude Wilson, Pig Production Special-
ist, Hi-Pro.

Frosty pod rot disease spreading

in cocoa farming areas
I t is being reported that the frosty pod
rot disease which has emerged in
some cocoa producing areas in Ja-
maica is spreading.
Sunneal Wilson, Chief Plant
Quarantine Produce Inspector in the
Ministry of Agriculture, said ac-
cording to a recent survey of seven
cocoa producing parishes, the dis-
ease has been identified in Clarendon,
St. Catherine, St. Andrew and St. Mary.
part of efforts to prevent the spread of the
infectious fungus.
Several activities were also con-
ducted including stripping, pruning
and spraying, while more than 500
farmers were sensitized in the af-
fected areas of Clarendon, St.
Mary, St. Catherine and St. An-
drew.
The Agriculture Ministry will in-
crease training and sensitisation ses-
sions in cocoa producing parishes as

Nutramix signs major

There is concern that it is spreading in
Calves born through the use of artificial insemination from a cattle farm in Clarendon St. Mary with reports that about 67 per cent frosty pod rot disease.
of the parish's cocoa production being af- This is scheduled to begin in St. Mary

cattle semen deal

fected. this month. The parish has the largest
"St. Mary is one of the major concern acreage of cocoa farms in Jamaica.

N
utramix has inked a deal with Amer-
ican firm Select Sires under which
the Jamaican company will distribute
highly fertile, superior genetics for cattle
across the island and the throughout the
Caribbean.
Nutramix pointed out that while it
started distribution of genetic semen from
Select Sires on a small scale locally in
June 2016, the deal that was recently
signed is offering a wide range of breeds
and sires to customers.
“Select Sires is recognised worldwide
as one of, if not the leading supplier of top
quality genetics for cattle,” Dr Gabrielle
Young, livestock and support manager at
Nutramix, said. “Partnering with a com-
pany with this reputation signifies the high
quality and standards that Nutramix al-
ready exemplifies. Through the distribu-
tion network that Nutramix already
controls within the Caribbean with feed,
we can add superior quality genetics for
cattle that is badly lacking in the
Caribbean.”
Dr Young explained that the popular
breeds for dairy and beef are Jersey, Hol-
stein, and Brown Swiss for dairy, and
Black and Red Angus, Brahman, and Si-
mental for beef.
(sic) for us because St. Mary is actually the
parish that produces the hallmark flavour
for the cocoa or what we call premium
cocoa flavour that give (sic) Jamaica its
high price for actual cocoa that goes into
making chocolate," said Ms Wilson, who
was speaking on Tuesday at a JIS Think
Tank.
Portland and St. Thomas have not
been affected by the frosty pod rot disease.
A statement last month from the Agri-
culture Ministry said a number of measures
had been taken since confirmation of the
disease locally in August 2016.
The Plant Pest Emergency Response
Team was activated. SANNIEL WILSON
The Frosty Pod Rot Order 2016 was Chief Plant Quarantine
enacted to curtail the spread of the highly and Produce Inspector
14 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM
Newly Implemented FDA Produce Rules
Offer Food Safety Startups a Boost
P A
www.agfundernews.com
CALIFORNIA:
roduce farmers from the Salinas Valley
to the Hudson Valley are beginning to
make sense of a new set of rules that regulate
how they do business. The first compliance
date for the Food Safety Modernization Act
Produce Rule was January 26, 2018, and
farmers, entrepreneurs, and extension agents
are quickly adapting to its standards. This
year, produce farms with annual sales over
$500,000 have to come into compliance,
while smaller businesses have longer to up-
date their operations.
The new rule establishes protocols for
how produce farmers harvest, wash, package,
and store fruits and vegetables usually con-
sumed raw. Standards for microbial water
quality, biological soil amendments, manag-
ing livestock and wild animals, health and
hygiene, and equipment, tools and building
make up the majority of the law.
Some experts doubt whether the rule
will reduce instances of food-borne illness in
a meaningful way, and many small-scale
farmers worry about the costs of coming into
compliance. The FDA estimates the initial
costs of meeting requirements like water test-
ing, enclosed packing houses, and record
keeping could range from $5,027 to $23,382
for small operations – something farmers
have worried about since the produce rule
was first announced in 2015.
But for agrifood tech companies devel-
oping products to monitor food safety, the
produce rule looks good for business.
FSMA first became law in 2011 as a
strategy to prevent, rather than treat, food-
borne illness.
China: Cheap American grain is hurting our farmers
L
ess than two weeks after President
Trump slapped new tariffs on imports
of solar panels and washing machines,
China has launched an investigation into a
key U.S. agricultural export.
Chinese authorities said Sunday they
would examine whether the U.S. is unfairly
subsidizing exports of sorghum, a crop that
is used to feed livestock and make a liquor
that's very popular with Chinese drinkers.
Preliminary information showed "ex-
tensive dumping" of U.S. sorghum at lower
Philippines lifts ban on poultry imports from Belgium
T
he Philippines has lifted the import ban
on poultry products from two areas in
Belgium. Importers can now resume buying
poultry from the municipalities of Oostkamp
Singapore turnsvacant space into urban farms
and Menen in West Flanders province. The
R
SINGAPORE:
esource-scarce Singapore is turning va-
cant pockets of land into space for urban
farming as the island city strives to ease its
reliance on imported food.
The wealthy Southeast Asian city-state
imports more than 90 percent of its food,
much of it from neighboring countries, which
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A comprehensive overhaul of food
safety law, the act gave the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to
regulate how food is grown, harvested, and
processed. The produce rule, first enacted in
2015, outlined the first regulations for fruit
and vegetable markets, which previously
hadn’t been subject to much oversight. The
law establishes standards for everything from
managing grazing animals in fields to the
surfaces used to wash fruits and vegetables.
For the California growers that produce
the majority of the nation’s fruits and veg-
etables, compliance with the FSMA Produce
Rule looks like business as usual, as large op-
erations generally keep detailed records for
operational, foreign trade, and liability pur-
poses says Patrick Zelaya, the CEO of
HeavyConnect, a company that provides dig-
than normal prices, China's Commerce
Ministry said in a statement. That has
caused "material injury" to Chinese farm-
ers, it added.
China is the largest buyer of American
sorghum products. It imported about $960
million worth last year, according to Chi-
nese customs data. "Sorghum is a good tar-
get for a trade dispute since it would have
a major financial impact on the U.S.," said
Loren Puette, director at ChinaAg, an agri-
cultural research firm.
Department of Agriculture (DA) banned
poultry imports from Belgium in August last
year due to an avian influenza outbreak in the
European country.
With the lifting of the ban, the Philip-
can leave it exposed to potential supply chain
disruptions.
Edible Garden City, a company with a
grow-your-own-food message, has designed
and built more than 50 food gardens in the
tropical city for clients ranging from restau-
rants and hotels to schools and residences.
One of its projects is Citizen Farm, an
FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 15
ital documentation tools to large-scale farm-
ers. “We’re already following very stringent
food safety standards,” he said.
The produce rule requires extensive data
collection and documentation around activi-
ties like harvest preparation and water test-
ing.
Growers have to keep meticulous and
regular records, a process most often carried
out on paper. HeavyConnect developed its
digital documentation mobile app in response
to requests from growers looking to stream-
line their processes in light of the new laws.
Most of the growers Zelaya works with have
already been following safety standards sim-
ilar to the requirements of the new rules. The
bigger challenge in California is understand-
ing exactly what the regulations and reper-
cussions are.
Squeezing the sorghum trade would
hurt the U.S. rural economy, where Trump
has a lot of support, he said. But other more
significant exports grown by U.S. farmers
are likely to escape action for now, Puette
added.
China is the biggest buyer of Ameri-
can agricultural products, and a large part
of that is soybeans. China bought $14 bil-
lion worth of them in 2016, according to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
pine government would resume the process-
ing, evaluation of the application and is-
suance of sanitary and phytosanitary import
clearance of domestic and wild birds and
poultry products from Belgium.
8,000 square meter plot that used to be a
prison, converted into an urban farm “where
the local community can learn and grow to-
gether”, according to the project website.
Citizen Farm produces up to 100 kg of
vegetables, 20 kg of herbs and 10-15 kg of
mushrooms - enough to feed up to 500 peo-
ple - a day.
Andrea Veira
- CARDI Rep
in St Lucia
ndrea Veira has been appointed the
new CARDI Representative in St
Lucia. Andrea is currently finalising her
PhD thesis on “Agro–ecological tech-
niques for sweet potato production in the
Caribbean.”
Andrea Veira
She also holds a Masters of Arts in
Education from the University of Derby,
a Postgraduate Diploma in the Teaching
of Science and a BSc in Biology with Ed-
ucation from The University of the West
Indies (UWI), Barbados. Prior to joining
CARDI she held various tutoring posi-
tions at The UWI Cave Hill Campus and
taught at secondary schools in St Vincent
and the Grenadines and Barbados.
As the CARDI Representative she
will work in close collaboration with the
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Phys-
ical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-
operatives and other partners to
implement the national agricultural
agenda which has a strong focus on the
production of roots and tubers, coconuts
and vegetables.
Florida fighting
———————————
screwworms
I
Florida, USA:
n recent months, Florida has faced both
Zika virus and hurricanes. Now, the
Sunshine State must defend itself against
one more natural scourge: flesh-eating
worms of unknown origin.
After the US Department of Agri-
culture confirmed a local infestation of
New World screwworm in Key deer on
September 30, state Commissioner of
Agriculture Adam Putnam declared an
agricultural state of emergency in Mon-
roe County, the home of Key West.
Despite its name, the adult screw-
worm is actually a fly, and it typically
lays its eggs in an open wound on an an-
imal. Infected animals usually separate
from their herd and, if left untreated, die
in seven to 14 days from toxicity or sec-
ondary infections.
 Pasture (grass) feeding for cattle
16 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

O ver the past year, the Ja-

maica Dairy Develop-
ment Board established
several hundred acres of im-
proved pasture grass on farms
throughout the island.
These grass varieties in-
clude Mulato 11, Mombasa
and Cayman Grass.
The grasses were estab-
lished mainly across dairy
clusters in St. Thomas, St.
Catherine, Clarendon and St.
Elizabeth
Pasture grazing is the nat-
ural means of feeding cattle.
Cattle and other ruminants do
well when fed quality forage.
Supplementation with grains
and minerals support in-
creased production of both
meat and milk. CAYMAN GRASS: With a tillered growth habit, the Cayman grass produces abundant stolons.
Cayman grass provides the following: more meat, more milk with enhanced nutritional quality;
Pasture Management Tips higher stocking rate; highly palatable; stoloniferous growth; tolerant to drought; resistant to dis-
eases and pests and also resistant to moist soils.
• Pasture is the most abundant
and cheapest feed for cattle.

• Well managed pastures can

supply cattle with most of the
necessary nutrition and en-
ergy.

• By grazing lush grassland,

cattle take in adequate pro-
tein, energy, vitamins and
minerals (unless soils are very
low in certain important trace
minerals).

• Quality of pasture depends

on a number of factors, in-
cluding:
- Type of plants grown
- Level of maturity of
plants at harvest
- Adequate moisture
MOMBASA GRASS: The grass is a tall grass, similar to hybrid Napier grass in habit, but far
during growth
more leafy and is very suitable for cut-and-carry. It is a very productive leafy grass, producing
- Soil fertility between 20 and 40 t/ha dry matter per year. Mombasa can be either rotationally grazed or set
- Fertilization stocked. Management depends on the farmer’s experience.

For further information contact:

JAMAICA DAIRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Hope Gardens, Kingston 6
Tel: (876) 618-7107 • Fax (876) 977-9230 • Email: dairyboard@micaf.gov.jm
 TECHNOLOGY
The New Technology Solution for
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 17

the Loss of Agricultural Products

A
By Elisha Shalgi
www.israelagri.com
ccording to FAO, the UN's Food and
Agriculture Organization, there is
today a loss of about 45% of agricultural
products world-wide, as a result of inaccu-
rate ripeness measurements.The reason for
this situation is that these check-ups are car-
ried out manually and are not standardized.
ClariFruit is a startup at a seed stage,
introducing a revolutionary yet simple ap-
proach for measuring the ripeness of fruits –
e.g., grapefruits, and vegetables – e.g.,
'cherry' tomatoes. Obviously, ripeness in-
cludes such parameters as freshness, dura-
bility, and taste.
Today, there is no universal standard
for the above-mentioned parameters. There
are only local standards. The company has
recently entered this lacuna.
This, in introducing a breakthrough
technology. The aim of this breakthrough
technology is to facilitate check-ups of
fruits and vegetables ripeness grade in such
a way that these check-ups become simple,
straightforward, common-place, and last but
not least cost-effective.
Today, there are a few means at the dis-
posal of the people who make up the food
supply chain – whether they are growers,
wholesalers, retailers and even the con-
sumers themselves – for measuring fruits
and vegetables ripeness. This, in order to
determine the ripeness grade of fruits and
vegetables. Generally speaking, these ClariFruit Introducing a revolutionary simple approach for measuring the ripeness of fruits
means are stand-alone means, each verify- from the user's cell-phone, which has a Infra-red light beam-based, handheld mo- And, as already mentioned, all sam-
ing only one parameter, e.g., color, dry mat- built-in Global Positioning System-GPS), lecular probe, which actually measures in- pling data, as well as additional statistical
ter, size, sugar content, etc. weather conditions, and date and time of the ternal fruit properties like, for instance information and reports, are available on-
With ClariFruit technology one could meas- measurements. These data are instantly up- BRIX, dry weight, acidity, etc. In addition, line for post-sampling and post-production
ure all the above-mentioned fruit and veg- loaded to a cloud data base and are then an- in using the smartphone's high-resolution analysis (traceability), the result of which is
etable parameters and more. For example, alyzed by an innovative, tailor made photographic possibilities, one can also ac- that the process of decision-making at all
the fruit’s BRIX, acidity, firmness, dry BigData algorithm. quire external attributes of the fruit/veg- stages of the food supply is made easier! At
weight, color, size, stains, variant and more. The ClariFruit technology integrates etable under examination, such as color, the moment Clarifruit's algorithm supports
What's more, the user is able to determine with SCIO sensor, produced by 'Consumer size, form, etc. only 'cherry' tomatoes and grapefruits.

Research helps make insurance available to smallholder farmers

his or her exact location (which is retrieved Physics' company, and is based on near

F arming is an uncertain and risky business, especially for

poor smallholders in remote areas of developing coun-
tries. However, a new study shows how data gathered by
satellite could help poor farmers manage their risks more ef-
fectively through index insurance.
The Weather Risk Management Facility (WRMF), cre-
ated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), conducted a
project in Senegal from 2012 to 2016 to test whether remote-
sensing technology could advance the drive to make insur-
ance available to smallholder farming households.
The project received financial support from the Agence
Française de Développement and an additional contribution
from the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office.
Index insurance, a type of agricultural insurance, uses
data rather than in-field assessment to determine when crop
losses occur.
The new WRMF study focused on developing and test-
ing indices using satellite data - obtained through remote sens-
ing – to try and overcome challenges with only using data on
the ground. The indices would then be used in an index in-
surance contract to protect against drought or other production
risks.
Ground-breaking research helps make
insurance-available to smallholder farmers
Using this data, a yield loss could be captured automat-
ically, triggering payouts.
As global population and the demand for food continue
to rise, it is essential to support the world’s 500 million small-
holder farms, which are responsible for much of the food pro-
duced in developing countries. Though they make a big
contribution to global food security, small farmers have dif-
ficulty developing sustainable practices as climate conditions
change. Too often they lack the knowledge, access to credit
or other financial tools necessary to invest in adapting to cli-
mate uncertainty and they struggle to maintain yields or in-
crease productivity.
The project, Improving Agricultural Risk Management
in Sub-Saharan Africa: Remote Sensing for Index Insurance,
explored ways in which the construction of dependable index
insurance products would help these smallholder farms to
manage risks related to climate. The publication describes the
project in detail, and will give people working in insurance,
agricultural development and government an overview of
how remote sensing can assist index insurance and the hurdles
to be overcome, as well as recommendations on where fur-
ther work and investment is needed.
Index insurance can circumvent the costly journeys and
arduous, long-term loss assessments that prevent insurance
providers from offering coverage to rural farms, thus lower-
ing administrative costs, making it affordable and accessible
to smallholder farmers. Using remote sensing technology to
develop index insurance with accurate data could enable ef-
ficient payouts to rural farmers. With further investment and
research, satellite data could transform agricultural insurance
and help it become a valuable risk management tool for small-
holder farmers in developing countries.
Source: www.ifad.org

18 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018
CLA issues first two Cannabis licences
H
By Ainsworth Morris
istory was created recently
with the issuing of the first
two licences by the Cannabis Li-
censing Authority of Jamaica
(CLA) for local entities to legally
operate in the cannabis industry.
CLA Chairman, Hyacinth
Lightbourne, said the occasion
represents the start of what will
be a thriving medicinal ganja in-
dustry in Jamaica.
CLA is an agency of the
Ministry of Industry, Commerce,
Agriculture and Fisheries, estab-
lished in 2015 under the Danger-
ous Drugs Act with the power to
make and oversee the implemen-
tation of regulations for licences,
permits and other authorisations
for the cultivation, processing,
distribution, sale and transporta-
tion of ganja for medicinal, scien-
tific and therapeutic purposes.
Everyting Oily Labs was
presented with a processing li-
cence, while Epican received a li- Chairman, Cannabis Licensing Authority of Jamaica, Hyacinth Lightbourne (left), presents Di-
cence for cultivation, during a rector and Secretary, Everyting Oily Labs, Claudine Liu, with a cannabis licence, at a press con-
press conference held at the Min-
ference on Oct 18, 2017, at the offices of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and
Jamaican Mint
istry of Industry, Commerce, Fisheries in New Kingston.
S research for medical
1.Satureja viminea
atureja viminea or Costa Rican Mint is another
name for the Jamaican mint which is also called
“Pepper Mint.” The Satureja viminea is not a true
peppermint plant and its aroma is described as ser-
pentine savory.
Unlike the well-known peppermint herb, this
plant has a woody stem, upright growth and keeps a
bushy shape. The Jamaican mint can be trained into
a small tree reaching 6-7 ft in height.
Peppermint typically grows in moist habitats in-
cluding stream sides and drainage ditches. Being a
hybrid, it is usually sterile, producing no seeds and
reproducing only vegetatively, spreading by its rhi-
zomes. It grows best in areas of low sunlight, with a
good supply of water, without being water-logged.
It is used mainly as a tea to soothe stomach
aches and for gas. The Jamaican mint is also used
for baths and body gels which cool and tingle – in-
vigorating the body and lifting the spirit. The fra-
grance of the Satureja viminea is pure and very
intense.
Peppermint has a high menthol content. The oil
contains menthone and menthyl esters, particularly
menthyl acetate. Peppermint oil also contains small
amounts of many additional compounds including
limonene, pulegone, caryophyllene and pinene.
It is the oldest and most popular flavour of
TROPICAL FARMERS’ ALMANAC
mint-flavoured confectionery and is often used in
THE
‘Everyday Guide to Successful Farming’
ORDER YOUR COPY - 923-7471
Tel: (876) 923-7471 • E-mail: editor@theagriculturalist.com
www.tropicalfarmersalmanac.com
MIRACLE PLANTS
tea and for flavouring ice cream, confectionery,
chewing gum, and toothpaste.
Peppermint can also be found in some sham-
poos, soaps and skin care products.
Peppermint has a long tradition of medicinal
use, with archaeological evidence placing its use at
least as far back as ten thousand years ago. Pepper-
mint is commonly used to soothe or treat symptoms
such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, indiges-
tion, irritable bowel, and bloating.
One animal study has suggested that Pepper-
mint may have radioprotective effects in patients un-
dergoing cancer treatment. The aroma of peppermint
has been found to enhance memory and alertness,
although other research contests this.
Source: The Tropical Farmers Almanac
Israel to fund
cannabis crops
T
SAFED, ISRAELI:
he Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development will fi-
nance research in the field of med-
ical cannabis, in what it says is a
pioneering step that will allow re-
searchers to do basic and applied
research to develop the tools and
infrastructure for a new generation
of medical cannabis
products.
In collaboration with
the Health Ministry,
the Agriculture Min-
istry has allocated a NIS
8 million budget ($2.1 mil-
lion) to finance research in
the field of medical
cannabis growth, biochemistry and
medicine.
Thirteen projects have been
chosen, the ministry said, among
which are the identification of new
strains of cannabis; the use of
cannabis to improve vision, fight
intestinal cancer and boost the
body’s acceptance of transplanted
organs; the improvement of water-
ing and fertilizing of the cannabis
plant; and the development of ways
to combat cannabis plant diseases
and pests..
The use of medical marijuana
is gaining popularity around the
world, the ministry said, with re-
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM
Agriculture and Fisheries in New
Kingston.
CLA Chairman, Hyacinth
Lightbourne, said the occasion
represents the start of what will
be a thriving medicinal ganja in-
dustry in Jamaica.
“Although it has taken some
time to get to this historic occa-
sion, we have remained commit-
ted to getting it right and to
ensure that Jamaica’s stake in the
global medicinal cannabis indus-
try is never compromised and re-
mains sustainable. During the
process, we have endeavoured to
remain in dialogue with our ap-
plicants every step of the way,
and we are confident that they
have satisfied the rigours of the
regulations,” she said.
Lightbourne informed that
another three applicants have
been granted licences and are
completing their requirements to
be issued.
In addition, 57 are at the con-
ditional approval stage, and an-
other 209 applications are being
processed.
search backing up its beneficial ef-
fects. The growth of the plant,
however, must undergo strict qual-
ity control and research in the sec-
tor is essential, the statement said.
Medical cannabis is provided
to patients for relief from symp-
toms and pain, as well as physical
and mental stress. The international
medical cannabis market is
forecast to be worth approxi-
mately $20 billion within a
decade, and some 1%
of the global population
are estimated to become
potential medical cannabis
users at some point during
their lifetime.
Israel is well-known as a pio-
neer in medical cannabis. Last
summer, the government approved
a plan initiated by Health Minister
Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Ju-
daism) to relax some of the med-
ical cannabis requirements. The
plan aims to expand the number of
doctors who can issue cannabis
prescriptions, remove limits on the
number of marijuana growers,
make cannabis available at ap-
proved pharmacies, and possibly
eliminate the requirement for a per-
mit from the Health Ministry so
that just a doctor’s prescription will
be sufficient.
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 19

Meet the insects that maintain

agricultural produce in Israel
T he Agricultural company, "beauty of
Vegetables" from Ein – Yahav in south
Israel, is the largest vegetable producer in
the country. The company manage to en-
sure clean vegetable production by a
process that reduces the use of pesticides
to a minimum global standard by a combi-
nation of laboratory tests and biological
control using insect predators.
To protect the vegetable crops the
farmers are using a cocktail of four preda-
tory insects that feed on vegetarian insects.
The predators cover the farms throughout
The cocktail contains the wicket Orius
laevigatus, the Svirski, the Presimillis and
parasitic wasp that protects the crop from
the pests.
The above mentioned "good" insects
do not harm the vegetables because they
are not interested in the plant itself. The
vegetables are washed well before market-
ing, as part of the quality control of Ein
Yahav Company to make sure no insect
"could catch a ride on a vegetable."
The Biological control combined with
supervision of laboratory services is taking
prior to marketing, to avoid any elements
of spraying or any bacteria. The growers
are using new equipment that allows the
identification of hundreds of pesticides in
a single test, combined with the detection
capabilities of any "single" residue of
chemical unit hidden in a trillion other veg-
etable components. The company is an Agricultural Co-
Ein Yahav vegetables are not picked operative Society which includes 90% of
without a "clear" accreditation from the lab the farms in Moshav Ein - Yahav. The mar-
authorities. After harvesting the vegetables keting volume is estimated at 34 thousand
are strictly controlled and each vegetable tons, half of it to local markets in Israel
should be reviewed for all international with the other half being exported to Eu-

Organic Fertilizers
the season and hunt the harmful vegetarian representative samples from the field - all standard quality parameters sorting for ex- rope and the United States.
pests. throughout the process of growth- and port or local food industry.

and their benefits

O rganic materials in the garden are
more environmentally friendly than
traditional chemical fertilizers.
Unlike commercial chemical fertiliz-
ers, organic fertilizer for gardens is typi-
cally made of single ingredients and can
be matched to your garden’s particular nu-
tritional needs.
The types of organic fertilizer can
come from plant, animal or mineral
sources, depending on what chemicals
Students digging the soil at Bustamante High School Farm, Clarendon as part of your garden requires. In order to qualify as
the The Rita Marley Foundation (JA) Organic Farming Training Programme for an organic fertilizer, the materials must
kindergarten and high school students. The programme is facilitated by U.S based naturally occur in nature.
agricultural consultant, Steven Herbert.
Fertilizer for organic gardening isn’t Organic manure will also insure that

Jamaica Organic
the quick and instant fix that chemical fer- your plants will have all the nutrients that
tilizers can be. With organics, you have to they need to produce top quality produce.

Agriculture Movement
let moisture and beneficial organisms
Cover Crop Manure
break down the content of the fertilizer
Green manure can be made in a couple
material in order for the plants to get to the
of different ways. You can plant a cover
nutrients inside.
crop which you will let grow for a season,
In general, half of the nutrients in an
then cut and till under.
organic fertilizer ingredient can be used
The Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement is a non-profit, non- the first year it is applied, and the rest of it
Cover crops can also be grown and cut
governmental organization created to foster an organic agricul- is slowly released in the years to come,
and added to a compost pile to be used
later on the garden.
ture industry in Jamaica. feeding and conditioning the soil.
The advantages of this type of crop are
that it will choke out weeds, it will im-
Why Use Organic Manure?
Mission: prove the soil once it’s tilled under, and it
Using organic manure will help you
To facilitate the development of a sustainable and economically grow the healthiest vegetables. Organic
will help with soil erosion. The disadvan-
viable organic agriculture sector in Jamaica while maintaining or- manure can come from lots of different
tage is you can’t plant in that area until the
cover crop is finished and tilled under.
ganic integrity, promoting health, environmental consciousness, sources – it is simply best to use what is
Some of the best cover crops are cow
and social responsibility easiest for you to get. There are three types
pea, beans, clover, hemp and alfalfa.
of organic manure: animal, green, and
All of these crops are excellent sources
wood ashes.
Objectives Include: Using some of each will give your gar-
of nitrogen and will also provide other nu-
• Lobby for and assist in the development of an effective local or- den the best possible soil and grow the best
trients to your soil.
ganic agriculture industry vegetables. Organic manures in the garden
Animal Manure
• Assist local producers who are interested in the conversion to will release half their nutrients the first
The next type of organic manure is animal.
season and half the next season, so they
and certification in organic agriculture This type of fertilizer can be found from
feed the soil slowly over time.
friends with horses, cows, chickens, rab-
Adding organic materials to the soil
———————————————————————————— bits, goats, and even bat poop! You might
does more than just add nutrients; it will
Raymond Martin - Chair improve moisture retention, help with
even try the local newspaper or bulletin
board for people wanting to get rid of extra
P.O. Box 5728, Kingston 6 Jamaica W.I. drainage, and improve the soil structure.
manure. Animal manure is also bagged
joam@joamltd.org; 1-876-564-3770 and sold at most gardening centers.
20 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

Slight
Toxicity

Ectoline
Spray
LARVICIDE SPRAY
HEALING & ANTIMICROBIAL

Always exercise caution

and wear proper safety
gear when handling,
Larvicide Spray, healing and
preparing and using
pesticides; keep out of
antimicrobial agent
reach of children. Refer to Active Ingredients: Fipronil,
Product Instructions for
correct usage. Silver Sulfadiazine, Aluminium

For preventing and treating screwworms.

Aids in preventing Myiasis in general wounds,
Available at Hi-Pro Farm Supplies and leading surgical wounds, eg. Castration, dehorning,
farm stores islandwide. peeling, branding, etc, also in cracks in hoofs,
Telephone: 984-7918/619-1302 and in treating calves’ navels.
 Knowledge Page
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 21

Ectoline takes on the dreaded Screwworms

T
ECTOLINE IS USED IN THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND CONTROL OF SCREWWORM INFESTATION (MYIASIS) IN ANIMALS
he New World Screwworm (NWS)
Cochliomyia hominivorax, is an insect
pest endemic to Jamaica affecting warm-
blooded animals and humans.
NWS cause widespread economic
losses in livestock production as well as
pain and suffering to animals and humans
when untreated wounds are infested with
maggots otherwise known as Myiasis.
Recurrent economic cost and loss in
livestock production due to NWS are sub-
stantial. Total losses due to mortality and
increases in the cost of production are an
estimated US$5.5 million - US$ 7.8 mil-
lion annually.
The adult female fly lays once in a
lifetime and can lay 100 to 400 eggs in a
clutch, in open wounds or areas on skin
conducive for the hatching and develop-
ment of larvae. When larvae emerge, they
feed on living tissue of the host animal.
Wounds infested with larvae (mag-
gots) usually become a site for secondary
bacterial infection and if ignored or un-
treated the animal can eventually die from
Features of Ectoline Spray:
• Curative treatment for Myiasis
• Excellent Anti-parasitic Larvicidal spray
• Usually only ONE application necessary
for wound treatment
• Acts in the prevention of Myiasis in
wounds from castrations, tail docking etc.
• Great for navel wound management in
livestock
• Contains Anti-microbial properties
• Promotes wound healing
• Coats and protects wound for an extended
period
• Cost-effective and affordable
• Minimal hazard for user
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
AT HI-PRO FARM SUPPLIES
References:
Economic Impact of Eradicating the New World
Screw-Worm from Jamaica. “Vo, Trang T.”
For the prevention, treatment, and stock and companion animals (cats and 1998

Increase Your Yields with Drip Irrigation

the condition. control of Myiasis ECTOLINE is a pre- dogs).
mier Larvicidal /Antibiotic spray for live-

Additionally, installing a drip irriga- Although each system is designed ac-

tion system allows you to:
• Improve crop yields
• Control fungal diseases
• Better apply fertilizers through the use of
fertilizer dispensers
• Eliminate soil erosion
• Use a system designed to work with all
types of terrain and soil conditions
Drip irrigation is great for row crops
such as carrots and peas, and also for wa-
tering trees and shrubs or a series of con-
tainers, you’ll probably want to set up a
more sophisticated system.
cording to specifications such as type of
crops, land and water source. The general
components are a main control head, fil-
tration, fertigation, main lines, sub mains
and lateral drip lines.
The best part is that drip irrigation sys-
tems can be scaled to fit your needs
whether you have a home garden, lawn or
a large farm.
Jamaica Drip Irrigation has been the
leading provider of drip irrigation systems
across Jamaica for over 30 years. Talk to
us about how you could become our next
satisfied customer!

T
Courtesy of
Jamaica Drip Irrigation
hink of an automated system deliver-
ing the right amount of water (and nu-
trients) to your plants for the ideal amount
of time — that is drip irrigation. Studies
show that well-designed drip irrigation sys-
Furthermore, since drip irrigation de-
livers water directly to the plants you want
to grow, less is wasted on weeds. The soil
surface between the plants actually remains
drier, which discourages weed seeds from
sprouting.
For busy farmers, the main benefit of

The Agriculturalist
tems use at least 30 percent, and in some drip irrigation is the saving of both time

cases up to 50 percent, less water than
other methods of watering such as sprin-
kling.
Almost no water is lost through sur-
face runoff or evaporation and soil parti-
cles can absorb and hold water for your
plants. It also means very few nutrients
leach down beyond the reach of plant
roots.
Everybody reads
and money. Drip irrigation systems elimi-
nate the need to drag around hoses and
sprinklers.
For systems that use a timer, farmers
need only spend a few seconds to turn the
system on and the timer will automatically
turn off thus saving on costs for water in Book your adverts — (876) 923-7471• 923-7428
the long run. agriculturalist@gmail.com • editor@theagriculturalist.com
www.theagriculturalist.com
 FOOD PAGE
22 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM

Banana export
increased
by 525%
S peaking at a recent “Banana
Day” observations to officially
close the 4-year Banana Board Grant
Contract For Technical Services 2,
Janet Connie – General Manager,
The Banana Board listed the
achievements of the project.
These include: exportation
moved from 78 tonnes in 2013 to
411 in 2016, a 525% increase result-
ing in a jump in export income from
JM$7.12M to JM$47.76M and
achieving higher prices in the
Caribbean and North American mar-
kets.
Banana yield productivity in-
creased by 43% from 9.3
tonnes/hectare in 2011 to 13.3 tonnes
in 2017. Overall banana/plantain
productivity increase of 26%
Banana Board and 52 farms
achieve GlobalG.A.P. certification
increasing access to markets by as-
suring food, worker and environ-
mental health and safety
Created 150 new jobs while
sustaining 22,800; contributing
13.7% of agricultural labor and
2.46% of total labour market
BANANA INDUSTRY POISED FOR GROWTH AND JOB CREATION:
Fruit quality standards main- In photo (l-r) Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz; Ricard Bardia, Head of Op-
tained between 92.6% and 98% of erations at the European Union Delegation; Janet Conie – General Manager, The Banana Board and Roger Turner – Chairman, The
units within specification, exceeding Banana Board at the recent “Banana Day” observations to officially close the 4-year Banana Board Grant Contract For Technical
the 90% target. Services 2, funded by The European Union.

7 Wonderful Benefits of Banana

A n instant energy booster, banana is
one fruit that is commonly available
across the globe.
A look into the nutritional breakdown
of bananas and it reveals the following: per
100 grams, it contains 0.3 gm total fat, zero
cholesterol, 1 mg salt, about 360 mg potas-
sium, 2.6 gm dietary fiber, 12 gm sugar and
1.1 gm protein. If you still need reasons as
to why you must include bananas in your
diet, here are some -
1. High Fiber Content-Banana is
loaded with fiber, both soluble and insolu- manganese, magnesium, iron, folate,
ble. The soluble fiber has the tendency to niacin, riboflavin, and B6. These all con-
slow down digestion and keep you feeling tribute to the proper functioning of the
full for a longer time. Which is why ba- body and keeping you healthy.
nanas are often included in a breakfast benefits-of-banana-how-to-include-in-
meal so that you can start about your day your-daily-diet-2
without having to worry about the next 5. High Source of Potassium-The
meal. high content of potassium in bananas

Visit The Coconut Shop for

2. Heart Health-High fiber foods are makes it a super fruit. This mineral is
said to be good for the heart. According to known for its numerous health benefiting

Coconut Water, Coconut oil

a study done by University of Leeds in UK, properties - it helps in regulating heartbeat,
increasing consumption of fiber-rich foods blood pressure, and keeps the brain alert.

such as bananas can lower risk of both car-
diovascular disease (CVD) and coronary
heart disease (CHD).
3. Ease in Digestion-According to
& Confectionaries
6. Blood Pressure-It is a known fact
that salt is the evil when it comes to high
blood pressure. Bananas have low salt con-
tent and high potassium content, and these

18 Waterloo Road,
Ayurveda, banana has a sweet and sour properties contribute to making it ideal for
taste. The sweet taste is said to bring about those undergoing this condition.

Kingston 10
a sense of heaviness but the sour taste is 7. Helps Fight Anaemia-Due to the
known to stimulate agni (the digestive high iron content in bananas, they are good

juices), thereby supporting digestion and
helping in building up metabolism.
4. Powerhouse of Nutrients-Banana
is a heavyweight when it comes to nutri-
tion. It is loaded with essential vitamins
and minerals such as potassium, calcium,
Tel: 926-1770-2
for those suffering from anaemia. Anaemia
is a condition where there is a decrease in
the number of red blood cells or haemo-
globin in the blood. This leads to fatigue, Opening hours:
shortness of breath, and paleness. Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 pm
WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • 23
HL Agro Farmer_Magazine_33.5cm H x 25cm W.pdf 1 2/9/18 4:23 PM
24 • THE AGRICULTURALIST • FEBRUARY- MARCH 2018 WWW.THEAGRICULTURALIST.COM