By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
AGRICULTURE MINISTER Roger Clarke is warning pig farmers not to be fooled into thinking they can build a successful pork industry on the basis of a high duty regime for imported pork.
"We are in a liberalised economy and hiking duties on imported pork cannot be the way for a sustainable and profitable local pork industry," Mr. Clarke said in an interview with The Gleaner.
He was responding to calls by the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association (JPFA) for the Agriculture and Finance ministries to ensure that the duties on imported pork are hiked, to relieve the steep competition that local farmers have been getting from imported pork and pork products.
The JPFA contends that the unfair competition from imports has caused a glut in the pork market, and has also driven down the price offered to local pig farmers for the commodity.
But the Agriculture Minister said, "There is a limit to where we can go with duties in a free market and over the long run duties will have to go, so we cannot build an industry based on duties."
PORK IMPORTS
Pig farmers say a hike in duties on pork will relieve some of the pressure from foreign pork. According to the farmers, the pork imports have retarded the local industry.
Currently, import duties on pork and beef stand at 86 per cent of the value of the product. However, import duties on chicken stand at 270 per cent.
"Why can't we have the same level of import duties like that on chicken?" quipped Patrick Kameka of the Westmore-land/Kew Park Pig Farmers Committee. "We are receiving a stiffer competition from imports than chicken and we fear that many pig farmers are going to go bankrupt or be driven out of business if there is no hike in import duties on pork."
Admitting that in the case of bacon, the farmers are not able to satisfy demand, Mr. Kameka said that in terms of other pork products and fresh pork, the farmers could satisfy over 90 per cent of local consumption.
SUPPORT
He says the Agriculture Ministry needs to give more support to the interests of local pig farmers, since they have both the quality and quantity to satisfy local consumption.
But the Agriculture Minister says pig farmers need to boost the quality of their pigs and the efficiency of their production and marketing operations if they are to compete successfully with imported pork.
"What we have not been able to produce are the quality pigs for processing in Jamaica as our bloodlines have run down over time," Mr. Clarke said. "The production for the jerk pork market is all right, but we have not been able to come up with the quantity of quality pigs needed for processing."
He says that the Ministry is now in the preparatory stages of establishing a joint venture pig growing operations at Bodles, which will focus on developing quality breeding stock for pig farmers.
"By the end of this month, we intend to have the groundbreaking ceremony for the new pig rearing facility aimed at improving the bloodlines of our pigs," said Minister Clarke.
The new operation is a joint venture between the Ministry of Agriculture, Caribbean Broilers and a foreign entity.
