Agriculture Ministry Carrying out Intensive Ginger and Turmeric Projects

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has embarked on two $42 million ginger and turmeric projects, aimed at, among other things, enhancing development and outputs through the cultivation of some 510 acres of the spices this year, and providing employment for just over 830 stakeholders.

Addressing the project launch, at the Ministry’s Agricultural Research Station in Orange River, St. Mary, on Thursday (March 8), portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, disclosed that some 150 acres of new ginger is to be planted, while 350 acres of turmeric is earmarked for cultivation.

These undertakings, he pointed out, are expected to provide self-employment for 371 farmers, and jobs for 465 support workers at different stages of the production and processing cycles. Eleven College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) graduates have been recruited, and a consultant contracted, to provide technical and administrative support. They will be supported by extension officers attached to the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

The projects are joint undertakings between the Ministry and several private sector stakeholders. Notable among these are: Salada Foods (Jamaica) Limited and P.A. Benjamin Manufacturing Company Limited. The Minister handed over a cheque in the sum of $25 million, representing their direct input, to General Manager of the Ministry’s Export Division, Sylburn Thomas.  The Division is spearheading execution of the projects.

Outlining the activities and objectives of both initiatives, Mr. Clarke said the ginger project aims to: expand the acreage in areas that have produced ginger with minimal disease impact; improve husbandry in areas showing signs of combating disease prevalence; and engage in the commercial production of disease-free planting material using tissue culture, protected environment and hydroponic technologies.

The Minister anticipates that the 150 acres of newly cultivated ginger will yield an additional 210 metric tonnes of dried ginger by 2013, to satisfy existing orders and lift national supply by at least 43 per cent, to 696 metric tonnes.

Additionally, that support crop maintenance in selected farming areas will improve yield to, at least, seven metric tonnes of fresh ginger per acre; undertake cultivation of 10 acres, under protected (green house or shade house) environment, exclusively for planting during 2013; produce 589 metric tonnes of disease-free planting material for open field cultivation during 2013; provide adequate dedicated technical services; and employment.  

Pointing out that the project’s $15.1 million budget has been approved for disbursement through the Ministry’s Export Division, Mr. Clarke said the funds will be allocated as a 20 to 25 per cent grant on the cost of production for incremental acreage to be put into cultivation for improving crop husbandry in selected areas struggling to improve yield and minimize disease prevalence.

“Under the protected environment cultivation, the nursery component, the Ministry will make $4.9 million of disease-free planting material, as tissue culture plantlets or first generation rhizomes, available to investors to cultivate for planting material supply in 2013,” he outlined.

In noting that Salada and P.A. Benjamin have been “proactive” in approaching the Ministry to commence negotiations towards their involvement in the project, Mr. Clarke said their combined investment interest is limited this year only by the availability of “seed” stock. He added, however, that other individual farmers in St. Mary, St. Catherine and Clarendon, are advanced in constructing their shade houses to commence planting within three to four weeks.

“This is a sustainable and remunerative investment opportunity and we welcome other private interests to join us in partnership. Under both components, the Ministry will provide guarantee by way of legally binding purchase contracts executed through the Export Division. These contracts will be executed on an annual basis for open-field production, and over a three-year period for investment in protected environment infrastructure. The market is guaranteed for the entire output of the operation or for whatever proportion the investors commit to sell through the Export Division,” the Minister assured.

Mr. Clarke advised that just over $38 million has been budgeted to implement the turmeric project this year. He said it is anticipated that the 350 acres earmarked for cultivation will yield some 3,000 metric tonnes of fresh, or 450 metric tonnes of dried turmeric, by 2013; supply domestic demand and export to CARICOM markets; provide self employment to 71 farmers and job opportunities for an additional 140 persons, at different stages of the production and processing cycle; and supply Jamaican spice manufacturers with high quality turmeric ingredients that meet international food safety standards.

The Ministry will provide $16.5 million as an interest-free loan to participating farmers, secured on crop lien, which Mr. Clarke said represents upwards of 50 per cent of production costs, primarily land preparation. The loan, he informed, will be repaid to the Ministry from the proceeds of turmeric sales. The Minister also advised that a

$10 million grant has been earmarked to provide technical and administrative support, pointing out that the CASE graduates, consultant, and RADA extension officers, will lend support to the project’s implementation.

“This outlay is consistent with the Ministry’s policy to support the development of a remunerative and globally competitive spice industry in Jamaica; and we are not only going to be dealing with turmeric. We are looking at nutmeg, pimento and some (other) non-traditional spices…our peppers and onion, and exotic spices such as cardamom,’

Mr. Clarke said, while urging wide-scale stakeholder support for the projects.

By Douglas McIntosh, JIS Reporter