Green targets 50 per cent increase in onion production

AGAINST THE background of an annual consumption of 10 million kilogrammes of onion in Jamaica, of which nine million kilogrammes are imported, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green said the ministry has set itself a target to increase onion production by 50 per cent of the current demand in three years.

Green, who made this disclosure while on a tour of Model Agricultural Production Limited, an expansive private-sector farm in Innswood, St Catherine, said the Government plans to do this by working with expansive farms that have the capacity to carry out tests and experiments to increase yield.

“This is a robust target that can be met, part of what the ministry is trying to focus our energy on is yield, productivity is important, but it is not about how much land you put into production, but what you are getting out of the land,” Green emphasised.

EXPANSIVE FARMS

He continued, “Our job is to continuously increase the yield across the country, one of the good things about expansive farms, they have the ability to do a lot of tests and experimentations, we can then take what is done to help our small farmers who would not have the resources to put land they used for income into experimental crops.”

Model Agricultural Production Limited this season planted 60 acres of onion on its 2,800 acres Innswood property leased from Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings. The company yielded 11 tonnes per acre, which is above the world’s average, using a fusion of Israeli technology along with expertise from local agricultural specialists.

“We still believed that more can be done, so we want to support them, we want to encourage them to get their production numbers up, that is what we want to see,” said Green, who toured the facility to get a first-hand view of the various techniques that the private-sector farm is utilising.

Describing the pumpkin production that is also done on a section of the farm as impressive, Green said he already discussed with Model Agricultural Production Limited the possibility of mixing a special species of pumpkin they now produce with the local brand.

Managing director of the company, Israeli national Gidon Siterman, said he is ready to put more land into onion production to increase the yield.

Senior agronomist and deputy farm manager, Princess Lee, reinforced the sentiments expressed by Siterman.

“We will be doubling what we have, putting in 120 acres, along with sweet potatoes, scallion and pumpkin, targeting the export market,” she disclosed.

The company currently has 25 workers on staff and during planting and harvesting, employs between 50 and 70 temporary workers drawn from Innswood, McCooks Pen, Old Harbour and Spanish Town.