Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Pearnel Charles Jr, has commended Jamaica Producers (JP) for their use of technology in their production operations which aligns with the ministry’s ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ national campaign.
‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ is the ministry’s new initiative that promotes efficiency and resilience in the sector through the use of technology and innovation in the farming and fishing industries.
Speaking during a tour of JP St Mary farm on Wednesday, July 20, Charles Jr hailed the company for its use of technology, and charged the team to continue evolving its operations to ensure the farm becomes a space of excellence.
“The only thing I’ll say to you is never be comfortable; I don’t think you are, but I will say to you, continue to be uncomfortable. A big part of the changes that I am pushing is for our farmers, our fishers and our ministry to be uncomfortable with mediocrity,” said Charles Jr.
“So, you have a massive piece of equipment out there that is spraying chemicals and water while it’s standing. It’s great, you don’t need to change that unless you want to move to drones, and in five years, the drones will move to something else,” he continued.
In making the point that some agriculture stakeholders often fear change and are hesitant to evolve with technological advancements, Charles Jr said, “We have become accustomed to a normal way of doing things and, unfortunately, once something is seen as negative or difficult, we are quick to put it in a corner and leave it there for life, instead of trying to extract any positive from it.”
However, the minister stressed that technology allows for the exploration of alternatives.
“Grow Smart, Eat Smart is a new way of thinking which involves the use of technology and innovation, and pushes us to use research to improve operations," he said.
Some of the new initiatives being undertaken by JP Farms include the use of remote sensors to analyse moisture in the soil, and a new irrigation system which utilises a special type of hose that can be buried 30 centimetres underground.
This will yield not only greater production, but reduction in wastage of water through evaporation and overuse.
Speaking during the tour, General Manager of the company’s Farms Division, Mario Figueroa, shared that there are several advantages to the new technology.
“When you bury the hoses, they are not exposed to the sun because the sun crystalises all the plastic and then they break. The shelf life of a regular one is eight years, but this can be 25 years because they are protected and the workers will not cut them.
“The next advantage is they are not exposed to the sun, meaning you will not lose water through evaporation. That means all the water will be available for the plants, you can decrease by 25 per cent the use of the water,” Figueroa explained.
“Also, because they are buried at 30 centimetres, the seeds of the weeds above the level of the ground will not germinate because the water will not be available, all the fertiliser that you put will be available for your crop,” he continued.
In noting that not all hoses can be buried, Figueroa said the farm sources the special hose from international suppliers.
“That particular hose has a technology that can prevent particles of the soil (from) going inside and blocking it,” he said.
The new technology, according to Figueroa, will save the farm money in the long-run.
For his part, Chairman of Jamaica Producers Group, Charles Johnston, shared that “We used to use a drip system that had pipes on the ground. Now, for example, we’re using pipes that are under the ground, so they are less damaged, less cutting up. So constantly, we’re using technology in our production.”
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament (MP) for South East St Mary, Dr Norman Dunn, praised JP Farms for its use of technology in farming, and its contributions to the parish.
“JP Farms is an important institution within South East St Mary. It is one of the largest employer of individuals in the community, and they have always excelled in the use of technology generally. What I like (especially) about JP Farms is that with the use of technologies all across the world, employed persons within South East St Mary, particularly those who work on the farms, will benefit from knowledge transfer,” said Dunn.
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