Now is the Right Time to Invest in the Dairy Sector – JDDB Chairman
By: , December 1, 2023
Photo: Michael Sloley
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (left, foreground), leads a ribbon-cutting exercise symbolising the recent official handover of a communal milking parlour in Hillside, St. Thomas. Joining the Minister are (from left) Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB) Chief Executive Officer, Devon Sayers, and Chairman, Dr. Derrick Deslandes; Councillor-Caretaker, Seaforth Division, St. Thomas, Sheroo Stevens; Member of Parliament, St. Thomas Western, James Robertson; and Chairman, St. Thomas Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Dean Jones.
Photo: Michael Sloley
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (second left), and Member of Parliament for St. Thomas Western, James Robertson (left), unveil a sign for a communal milking parlour which was handed over in Hillside, St. Thomas, recently. Also pictured are (from third left) Chairman, Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB), Dr. Derrick Deslandes; Councillor-Caretaker, Seaforth Division, St. Thomas, Sheroo Stevens; Chairman, St. Thomas Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Dean Jones; and Chief Technical Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Orville Palmer.The Full Story
The local dairy industry’s current resurgence is an opportune time for farmers to invest in the sector, according to Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB) Chairman, Dr. Derrick Deslandes.
Speaking during the recent launch of a communal milking parlour in Hillside, St. Thomas, Dr. Deslandes noted numerous industry developments occurring locally.
“We’re seeing big producers coming on board in Tru Juice. We’re seeing Serge Island Dairies pumping a lot of effort and energy and money into revitalising. We’re also seeing shifts in the landscape,” he said.
Dr. Deslandes pointed out that while land is “very important and critical” in agriculture, there are existing technologies or new production methods and systems that allow farmers to operate on smaller plots of land and still be able to produce high volumes of milk.
He noted that one of the avenues for providing assistance to farmers is the establishment of a centre at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining’s Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, “where we acquire all the tools and materials that the farmers need so we can lease or offer short-term rentals at a cost”.
“We’ll work with you; we will provide the hand-holding. If you don’t have land, don’t worry about it; once you can find source feed, we will assist you in providing the infrastructure to help you. The number of cows in milking is declining, but the productivity has gone up. So we have identified strategies to actually provide animals to farmers,” the Chairman said.
He further pointed out that the target for the sector to meet the local dairy consumption demand is 50 million litres of milk.
Regarding the new milking parlour in St. Thomas, Dr. Deslandes said it is the first of many, adding that the pace will be picked up to establish others across the island, as the facility is an important aspect of the sector’s overhaul.
The parlour provides a clean, sanitary space where animals can be milked by machines, and enables proper storage for the collection of milk.