The big project to spur growth in Jamaica is being hinged on so called Agro Parks, but what has been our experience in the past and how can that guide us going forward.
- Nyerere Community Farm at Cacoon Castle, Hanover
Establish 1974
Acreage 12,000 acres
Farms involved
Nyerere Farms, Mafoota and Haughton Groove Farm
- Project land lease ran 1970’s – 1981
- Agro 21 – Spring plain was one of the biggest part of Agr0 21
None of these projects exist today and truth be told they had limited success during their time. What will make these new Agro Parks any different and given the past experience with previous government run program, failure is highly likely.
Changes in WTO rules played a part in the failure of some of the above projects and it was not soley poor management by those placed in charge of the government lead initiative.
Filed under: Agriculture |
Warren's Blog 
Jay, the Nyerere Farm Project was prone to corruption, Springfield resulted in waste and pilferage and the Agropark that is not really a new concept will suffer the same fate. People don’t get it, the government should get out of agriculture it is a business for private entrepreneurs. People also fail to realize that many of our farmers are old and their acres are small, old uneducated farmers may not possess the techniques that are required to transform the industry and small plots do not enable economies of scale, furthermore it is too difficult for one to access government land for farming, just look at Red Stripe’s ordeal and RADA id extremely ineffective. If some persons actualy expect a group of farmers with hoe and fork and limited private investment to produce quality products for the export market, then they must be really stupid. I have written some stuff on agriculture you can go and look them up
Jay, the Nyerere Farm Project was prone to corruption, Springfield resulted in waste and pilferage and the Agropark that is not really a new concept will suffer the same fate. People don’t get it, the government should get out of agriculture it is a business for private entrepreneurs. People also fail to realize that many of our farmers are old and their acres are small, old uneducated farmers may not possess the techniques that are required to transform the industry and small plots do not enable economies of scale, furthermore it is too difficult for one to access government land for farming, just look at Red Stripe’s ordeal and RADA is extremely ineffective. If some persons actualy expect a group of farmers with hoe and fork and limited private investment to produce quality products for the export market, then they must be really stupid. I have written some stuff on agriculture you can go and look them up
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