By Norman Grant From Jamaica Observer

On Wednesday July 13, 2016, hundreds of the nation’s farmers met at the Denbigh showground in May Pen, Clarendon, as the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) held its 121st annual general meeting (AGM) of the membership of the country’s umbrella farmers’ organisation that represents the nation’s over 220,000 farmers.

The JAS is in advanced discussion to approve the membership of the country’s approximately 20,000 fisher folk as an affiliate organisation. This was the first AGM for Karl Samuda as minister and he was well received by the farmers. He commended the role of the JAS and committed to continue supporting the society.

As the JAS president, I pledge the society’s support to the minister as we seek to expand the agricultural sector and the plight of the nation’s farmers.

The 121st AGM called for improvement in the country farm and rural road network, irrigation and portable water system, access to funding through the Development Bank of Jamaica and the National People’s Co-operative Bank. In fact, the meeting called on these institutions to make available a pool of funding of $500 million for small farmers at most five to seven per cent repayable over not less than five years and more, which I will speak to at a later date.

It must be noted that JAS is also a member of the Caribbean Farmers’ Network (CAFAN), which comprises 500,000 farmers from 14 countries in the Caribbean. As a result of this membership, a number of the members from the Caribbean region have been attending the Denbigh agricultural show since 2003, and this year we expect, once more, to have a good representation from the region for this year’s 64th staging of the Denbigh Agricultural Industrial and Food Show scheduled for July 30, 2016 to August 1, 2016.

It is against the above backgrounds that bring to sharp focus some important matters:

1. The Caribbean heads just concluded their meeting, and if I heard correctly, the consensus in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), in light of Brexit, is to wait and see how the vote by referendum in the UK, to leave the European Union (EU), will affect the region. Both JAS and CAFAN respectfully disagree with this position. We hoped that the Caribbean heads would have set up a task force to immediately engage both the EU and Britain to study the implications and explore the opportunities for the region and not take an individuality approach to these discussions. We agree with former Prime Minister P J Patterson that we should not do this alone, but approach it regionally.

2. The naming of the special committee by Prime Minister Andrew Holness to review Jamaica’s future in Caricom is timely and one that has the support of JAS as well as CAFAN. We want to commend Holness for this move and wish committee chairman Bruce Golding and all the members appointed to serve all the best.

Nonetheless, JAS is at a loss as to why the farmers’ organisation was not afforded a seat at the Caricom review committee, noting the presence of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Jamaica Exporters’ Association, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, and Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, all umbrella membership producers or service organisations. I would like to publicly advise the chairman that we are open to make a presentation to his committee.

We make these points: (a) We are in support of Jamaica remaining as part of Caricom and for Jamaica to play a leading role for Caricom to work for our people. It is important that this works, even as we reflect on how the Eat Jamaican Campaign, launched by JAS in 2003, has worked for the Jamaican economy and our farmers — saving US$500 million and increased domestic crop production from 982 million pounds to 1.230 billion pounds in 2013, an increase of 25 per cent.

3. Against that background, we are not in support of Brexit and must therefore explore how Jamaica and our 220,000 farmers can benefit from the US$6 billion worth of food presently imported into Caricom markets. This is a major reason Caricom must work for the people of the region.

Finally, the visit by Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is welcomed by the JAS, and let us hope both prime ministers found a way to place the agricultural sector on the agenda. This is an area in which Caricom territories can find common ground. Note that the region is importing $6 billion worth of food, and what was referred to as the Jagdeo Initiative has not moved forward. We still have these binding constraints affecting the growth of the agricultural sector almost 20 years after the initiatives was announced. The farmers in the region call out for leadership in Caricom in the interest of all our people.

Norman Washington Grant, OD, JP, is president of Jamaica Agricultural Society and chairman of Caribbean Farmers Network.

For more on this story go to: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Farmers-ready-to-join-Caricom–Brexit_67016