The Editor, Sir:

I have been following with interest the desperate attempt that our regional governments have been trying to make at delaying the inevitable removal of our preferential agreement with the E.U. regarding sugar. What perplexes me is that we have known for over 20 years that this was going to happen and instead of planning our way out of this situation by identifying alternative crops to be grown on the sugar lands we continue to grasp at straws.

The simple fact is: We are going to lose our preferential markets and pricing structure for sugar. Having acknowledged that, we can then use our time and energies wisely by looking at our options, and from my viewpoint, we can narrow these options down to two possibilities at this time:

1.We transform our sugar industry into a world-class industry and reduce our cost of production to globally competitive levels. This however will require complete mechanisation of the industry resulting in mass redundancies in the field and factory. Therefore, as desirable as this option may be it would appear to be the most unattainable due to the economic and social dislocation that would occur.

2. We make a meaningful effort at crop diversification by seeking ou high value, labour-intensive crops such as Sea Island Cotton as well as zeroing in on our niche market products for export such as coffee, cocoa, ginger and other exotic and unique Jamaican flavours that are so sort after internationally. Incidentally thes are not as prone to praedial larceny or other current threats facing the industry.

For example:

I have been reliably informed that the best quality Sea Island Cotton fibres that the Swiss Millers have ever received have come from Jamaica.

Jamaican ginger is the most potent in the world, and we cannot satisfy the global demand especially in the drinks industry yet our annual production is at an all time low level.

Our Scotch Bonnet pepper is the best in the world yet here again our annual production is pathetically low and not even scratching the surface on satisfying the demand.

Our papayas are considered the standard by which all others are judged with regards to taste and presentation, yet here again our production could be significantly increased.

Our cocoa is considered the best in the world and in great demand from the chocolate manufacturers worldwide, yet here again we are not even close to satisfying the demand.

Our coffee is the best in the world yet here again we struggle to meet demand.

The list goes on and on where our quality far exceeds that of all other producers!

Mediocrity

Therefore, I urge our leaders and those with influence in the agricultural sector, to play a significant role in taking us off the path of mediocrity through inefficiency, compromise and expediency and to actively purse the sustainable development of existing opportunities through the recalibration of our agricultural industry at all levels. Let us put our focus and energies toward the scientific production of value-added, high-quality crops as mentioned above. Let us aim for sustainable development of a dynamic export of non-traditional crops.

Agriculture can be a major net foreign exchange contributor to our economy, but we must approach it as a business and not, as we have been doing, the unofficial welfare system of the nation.

I am, etc.,

MARK KERR-JARRETT, J.P.

Managing Director

Barnett Limited