#Kingston, March 19, 2019 – Jamaica – The Government is assuring dairy farmers that it is committed to the growth and development of the industry, and wants to see milk production restored to the high levels experienced in the mid-1980s to early 1990s.
During
that period, Jamaica produced approximately 40 million litres of liquid milk. Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries
Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says Jamaica “is only producing about 50 per cent
of the milk we consume today”.
He
was speaking at the handover of a silo press and packer to the Jamaica Dairy
Development Board, at the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St.
Catherine, on March 14.
“With
all the land we have in Jamaica, we should be self-sufficient in milk and we
should be exporting processed and even fresh milk,” the Minister said.
“We
need to expand our local production of milk as we work towards a reduction of
our high food-import bill,” he added.
Mr.
Shaw further argued that for Jamaica to achieve increased production and
expansion of the dairy industry, addressing the constraints that negatively
impact the sector, which include poor animal nutrition, is required.
The
equipment handed over was secured at a cost of approximately US$12,000 under the Jamaica Rural Economy and Ecosystems Adapting to
Climate Change (Ja REEACH) project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), and will improve access to nutritious
feed material for cattle.
“The silo press will be able to pack up to 50 tonnes of silage at
a time. With this intensified conservation of forages and other feeds, we
believe we will be able to stem production losses, particularly in the dry
season,” Mr. Shaw said.
He added
that the silo packer presents an opportunity for others, in particular sugar-cane
farmers, to dedicate a percentage of their crop towards animal feed. Feeding sugar cane to all classes of livestock,
including cattle, has become commonplace, as it is a good source of nutrition
for those animals.
“It
is the intention of the Board to significantly increase the quantity and
availability of conserved forages in the form of hay, haylage and silage in the
upcoming months to offer our farmers low-cost options for feeding livestock and
expanding production,” Mr. Shaw said.
Meanwhile,
the Minister informed that the Ministry is working to redevelop the Bodles
Research Station in order to return it to its pride of place as a symbol of
excellence in agricultural research in the Caribbean.
“So,
in addition to the provision of modern equipment and techniques, we are also
engaged in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, and here at Bodles, $300 million
was allocated in the 2018/2019 financial year on redevelopment projects,” the
Minister pointed out.
To
date, work is advanced on a number of buildings, including a cattle barn, the
bio control laboratory, the sewerage system, farrowing pen, administrative
building and bathroom facilities, which have been renovated. By the end of the
financial year, it is expected that some $140 million would have been expended.
For
his part, newly appointed State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green,
told students who were in attendance that more young people should look to
agriculture as a viable alternative. They included students from the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) and the Sydney Pagon STEM Academy.
Contact: Chad Bryan
Release: JIS
Header: Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw (centre), cuts the ribbon to symbolically hand over a silo press and packer to the Jamaica Dairy Development Board, at the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, on March 14. Observing (from left) are State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green, and Chief Operating Officer of Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), Sylvia Megret.
Insert: Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, emphasises a point at the handover of a silo press and packer to the Jamaica Dairy Development Board, at the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, on March 14.
Dave Reid photos