Young Labourites want agro-park concept reviewed

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

With at least one branch of the agro-park initatve shaken because of an ill-fated onion crop at the Plantation Garden River, St Thomas, the parliamentary Opposition is urging Government to review the concept being touted as the way to ease the craving for foreign imports.

For the deputy spokesman on agriculture, Marlon Morgan, the much-vaunted agro-park project is too limited in scope.

Instead of mere planting of the range of ground provisions, Morgan suggested that the agro facility be broadened to include a retinue of related activities in the form of an agricultural productions concept.

"The agro-park ought to be more than just a facility where you plant a few onions," argued Morgan. "It should be a fully articulated space where it is linked to processing and other aspects and provisions for marketing."

It was reported that a foul-up by the Agro Invest Corporation (AIC) has resulted in the loss of a projected $50 million worth of onions at the Plantain Garden River agro-park, which is among those touted to produce Jamaica out of debt under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement.

RAW DEAL

AIC, Government's project management and execution agency responsible for certain deliverables in all agro-parks across the island, has reportedly caused more than 40 farmers involved in the onion project at Plantain Garden River to be harbouring thoughts of quitting after a raw deal left them each owing $300,000 in loans to the St Thomas Co-operative Credit Union.

Morgan, who was a guest at the most recent Gleaner Editors' Forum held at the company's North Street offices in Kingston, was supported by information specialist in the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Robert Morgan, who charged that this glaring deficiency was the cause of the malnourished state of Jamaica's economy.

"That's the problem that is causing our country not to grow because what you are having is a significant dichotomy between where the policy is and where the implementation is, and that is what is negatively affecting the agro-parks," said Robert Morgan.

He added: "The Government says it wants to do this, while there are technocrats and farmers on the ground who know all too well that the Government's way is not feasible."

Robert Morgan was part of team sent by the JLP on a fact-finding mission to China, a country advanced in agricultural production.

"One of the things we learnt is that the way that we are doing greenhouse farming in Jamaica is 20 years behind the times and agro-parks, 50 years, lagging as it is agri-centres that are now being pursued by these countries," he said.