I must give the PNP and its PR folks credit, where credit is due. They somehow have the ability to sell to the Jamaican public just about anything and most Jamaicans will “buy” and truly believe that what is on offer is worth taking on.
A few months ago farmers were complaining about the advice they got from the Ministry of Agriculture in relation to peanut farming and they went out and produce a lot of peanut, only to later recoginze that there was no martket for peanuts. They were left with thousands of pounds of peanuts that would either rot or being sold for next to nothing as they try to reduce their losses.
Today, the Jamaica Observer highlighted the plight of the another set of Jamaican farmers over in St Thomas on one of the much touted Agro Farms. The farmers we are told are expected to have combined losses over around $50m after the reported failure of their onion project, leaving them owing the Credit Union, which had offered them loans to go into the onion production.
Just for information, the Agro Farms is being touted as a major plank for economic growth in Jamaica under the current harsh austerity measures being demanded by the IMF in its agreement with the Government of Jamaica, but as usual when it comes unto getting things done correctly in Jamaica, the PNP is very good at talk, but it’s management stinks in almost every single area in Jamaica.
No doubt the failure of this farm, will leave a bitter taste in the mouth of these farmers and other farmers will no doubt take note, which could leave the entire Agro Park development out in the cold as farmers move to stay away from this and go it alone.
What is sad is that despite the fact that the PNP seems able to get Jamaicans to generally support the ideas it presents, their inability to properly manage just about everything, makes failure as sure as night follows days, yet Jamaicans continue to blindly support them.
Well thinking Jamaicans needs to stop sitting by the wayside and allow the government to continue its foolish ways as the people who always gets burned are those with the least level of education and who are not in a position to reason out things for themselves and thus are left at the mercy of the “sweet talking heads”.
Those of us who are able to creative thinker should step in and stop the wanton destruction of those Jamaicans who continues to believe that hope and faith in what the Government says, will turn their economic situation around.
It behoves us to say ” not so fast”, when it is clear that what is being proposed is unworkable and is likely to result in losses to the target group. The fact is every Jamaican who loses his or her money in an investment, is one poorer Jamaica and is one more body who could turn to a life of crime to replace those losses.
On the other hand, every Jamaica who makes money from his or her venture, is one more person who does not have to depend on you, me , the state or turn to crime to support his or her family and so the onus is on us to stop being silent, but instead step up to the plate and assist where we can.
I am tired of seeing the poor in this country continue to suffer particularly at the hands of the people who says they care about the poor.
My mantra for years has been, I am never trusting of anyone who says ” Trust me” nor do I trust anyone who keeps reminding me they are looking after my best interest.
The fact is those who keeps reminding you, do so, to get you to drop your guard, so they can carry out their sole intention, which is to advance themselves at your expense. If you are sure of what you are about, there is no need to constantly remind me and so by virtue of your constant worded reminder, you are instantly on my radar as not a trustworthy person.
Let’s get more involve to halt the plunder, enough is enough !
Every wonder why crime increases under every PNP government from 1972 to now ( check the graph under that title), it’s no by accident .
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Agro-park-mess_15733811
Poor management is worse than no management at all.
Filed under: Agriculture |
Warren's Blog 
Anyone who expects a political party to manage the farms will always suffer. Always make business decision based on good business practices.
Don’t blame political parties for bad business decisions
Cullcull, the farmers are mostly folks who based their business decision on those whom they believe are providing good advice and those who they also believe are of better knowledge.
When a man does not have a certain level of education he looks up to those ho do and what happens, he is taken for a ride.
That is why I made the point that WE must begin to get involved, we simply cannot afford to sit quiet.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.
The farmers failed because of Mismanagement. Poor farming practice. The did not use the right irrigation, the right fertilizer and some good farming practices. They did not get the yield from the land and are unable to recover from the investment.
Why blame the PNP for farming mismanagement ?. This is the same argument used by Finsac persons, they mismanage their business and then blame the government after they have failed.
Please read the article again. it is clear they cited mismanagement as the reason why the farmers failed.
Jay, do not argue with cullcull. Jay, government should create an economic environment that is conducive to investment, government should not be in the business of operating businesses. Most government agencies are poorly managed and Jamaica’s institutions have done a poor job in enabling development. In countries like Singapore the public sector is a model of efficiency that has copped a number of awards from agencies like the UN. Although, agriculture in Jamaica is archaic, the government continues to subsidise failing sectors, instead of making them more competitive and introducing new techniques. For example, most of Jamaica’s farmers are old and their techniques can no longer be applied to a modern agricultural sector, to compound the problem farming plots are small. Instead of investing in young people with advanced ideas, the government in an attempt to appease farmers, provide them with capital without the requisite information and when they fail, the same idiotic policies are implemented. Furthermore, bureaucracy is a major problem, Red Stripe wanted to invest in a government project but the organization had to wait for months before the government could source available lands. The government and farmers do not understand economics or agriculture, and instead allowing farmers to incur their own losses or investing in people with ideas, the government continues to engage in these foolish initiatives, in the name of loving the poor. Farmers will always fail because they lack vision and the government lacks foresight. The AIC gave the farmers incorrect information and that organization should be abolished. The government should quickly privatize all of its assets, and no investments must be made in archaic argriculture. Jay, cullcull is just a partisan hack, no serious person has confidence in the government, but the government likes to embark on major projects that fail. We want government to get the hell out of business, politicians are usually the ones who want to stimulate growth via partnerships and when they fail because of politicians, people like cullcull attack the poor partners.
“The government and farmers do not understand economics or agriculture”
your words… maybe you should lend them your understanding
Stick to the facts. The article said the farmers failed because they did not water the onions properly and proper fertilizer. if you want to be ignorant, you can blame that on the PNP, I blame it on just not knowing how to farm.
it is also useful if you spend the time to actually read the article.
The article implicated the government, furthermore I criticised both the farmers and the government. Farmers in Jamaica engage in archaic practices and the government is equally silly. We need the government to get out of all projects and allow private entrepreneurs to fail on their own. Cullcull, government should not be in business
“In one of the farming groups, not even three per cent of the farmers are over 40 years old; the majority of them are young people who, in their enthusiasm, went out and borrowed money or sell a TV or a phone — anything to get the $30,000 to secure the loan,” the farmer said.”
When people who are not farmers get into farming, all kind of things can happen. Same with Finsac, people who did not know anything about running business borrowed money and invested, only looking on the profits.
I stated that most of Jamaica’s farmers are old, I did not state that the farmers in the article were old. Furthermore, the problem is that fools cannot lead fools. The government is clueless and money is invested into foolish people, also the AIC did not give the farmers adequate information and they were misinformed. We need to abolish the project and get rid of archaic plans
So the farmers are fools… Also are the people in Finsac who lost their money fools too ?. Are they foolish people who lost their money ?
Cullcull, the farmers in Jamaica are not competitive many of them live in the past not realizing that their views no longer exist, FINSAC is a more complex issue, some of the businesses were undercapitalised, but they foolishly engaged in unscrupulous business practices, and the government’s regulatory framework was not conducive to investments. The FINSAC people were actually in business, but the farmers were foolish to believe that a government programme could work
It is actually a great idea. I do not think people realize the poor quality of leadership in the Civil Service and the trickle down effect? They are not entrepreneurial in nature so it unrealistic to think they would be good at implementation of this project. Most Civil servants only appear successful through extortion and kickbacks.
“Most Civil servants only appear successful through extortion and kickbacks.”
you guys amaze me. The largest set of professionals in the country are incompetent. let us know who in Jamaica are the people with sense
Maybe its a true statement, which explains why the country is in the mess it is in today.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.
The GOJ has hinged its economic growth of the AGRO Parks. If this is an indication of what is to come, then surely growth will be light years away.
This is what the PNP always does, sell an idea to the poor who blinded follows and getting screwed in the process.
Yet this is one pillar for economic growth, go figure
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Who part from you are the people with sense in Jamaica ?. Seems like everybody are poor, blinded , uneducated etc.. your words…
The Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke will this afternoon attempt to address concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report about the practices of the Agri-Investment Corporation and its management of the agro-parks.
The Agri-Investment Corporation has been established to oversee Jamaica’s agricultural assets including the agricultural parks which the Government is hoping to spur economic growth.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Minister has called a press conference for 3 o’clock.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=50364
Really! Who the hell woke him up?
“At Plantain Garden (St. Thomas) we just finished reaping onions, and we are preparing now to put some more in. Pumpkins are now growing. Ebony Park (Clarendon), that one is on stream and we are experimenting with the mini-set yam technique. We have reaped some there and the results are very encouraging,” he said.
http://jis.gov.jm/agro-parks-on-track-minister-clarke/
Given the disaster this was I shudder to think of what is happening elsewhere.
http://jis.gov.jm/agro-parks-on-track-minister-clarke/
“but the farmers were foolish to believe that a government programme could work”
So programs put on by the government cannot work. We also have foolish farmers. such disdain for your fellow countrymen.
where is the solution, if the governement cannot give oversight, the workers are foolish, and the private sector people do not pay taxes ( Red Stripe and Digicel getting some major waivers). Chinese/Indians business owners do cash business and are major Tax Dodgers.
@CullCull. The idea is an excellent one, the problem is that COMPETENT PEOPLE WITH VISION are not put in place to ensure success. Instead political hacks are put in place to “eat a food” and the taxpayers are left with the bill. Ultimate Tyre Company was put in the hands of Dennis Chung by the last administration and the difference is evident. It was been managed as part of the JUTC and the result was catastrophic!! Our Sugar Factories traveled the same path. We are competent people but we have allowed the politicians to continue recycling abject failures!
Agro Parks oversubscribed, is the the agricultural equivalent of Finsac.
http://cmslocal.gleanerjm.com/content/agro-parks-oversubscribed-clarke.
The Minster make amends
http://jamaica-gleaner.mobi/news/article.php?id=50377