Oct 17, 2008

Dr. Tufton Calls for Agricultural Development Fund

JAMAICA, Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service; Oct. 15, 2008

The Agriculture Minister pointed out that the other aspect, involves examining the role of agricultural policy in supporting energy requirements. "What is the role in agriculture in doing that? What are the various sources of bio-fuels that complement and not contradict or conflict with our need to provide food security? Are there crops that can be grown that are not going to take away what is required for consumption?" Dr. Tufton questioned. Another issue that came out of the conference was the need to identify alternatives to corn as a source of protein, particularly in feedstock; it was suggested that cassava be utilised. The Minister noted that this was not only useful in terms of feed stock, but for human consumption as well, pointing to an experiment with nutri-buns, provided under the school-feeding programme, through the Education Ministry, where cassava flour was used to substitute up to 20 per cent of flour.



Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has called for the establishment of a World Trade Organisation (WTO) - compatible agricultural development fund, to facilitate modernisation and re-tooling of the sector.

This call follows a meeting last week, which the Minister chaired, with the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), as part of the eighth Caribbean Week of Agriculture, held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Dr. Tufton revealed that it was suggested at the meeting, that revenues collected from imports of agricultural produce from other countries, could go towards supporting the development of such an agricultural fund.

"Daily, we import billions of dollars of produce from farmers who are producing it in other countries...We need to put a system in place that says if we gave 100 per cent duty concession on corn imports, which we currently do, coming into the country, apply a five per cent duty and take that five per cent, put it in a pool to re-tool our farmers so that they can grow," he said.

Dr. Tufton was speaking at the opening ceremony for a Sub-Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop on Agricultural Science, Technology, and Innovation Systems, being hosted by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), in collaboration with the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST). The event is being held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel from October 13 to 17.

He noted further, that those who oppose that process, of applying duty to agricultural imports, claim expense to the consumer, "but the truth of the matter is that.it might be a small price to pay for building the local capacity that is required, so that it minimises our vulnerabilities in the long run. We have to take these decisions, and the COTED is firm on it," he emphasised.

"I think there are opportunities in the current market crisis that we face, (and) we need to look for those opportunities that exist there, (and) not just view it as a threat, but view it as a call to action to address some of the fundamental challenges that we have to confront. We have to change our mindset, we have to change our attitude, we have to change our approach, and it has to start at the highest possible level," Dr. Tufton stressed.

Also, coming out of those discussions, he said, was the call for the region, to "re-focus our attention towards building local capacity. Territories within the region, which once saw their salvation coming from services, including Jamaica from tourism, from fossil fuels, in the case of Trinidad and Tobago, and saw food or the sourcing of food coming primarily from trading with other countries, are now re-thinking that model because of the developments that have occurred over time". Out of the meetings, he informed, a communiqué had been developed by the Heads of the region, to take a number of steps to re-focus attention on building local capacity.

Dr. Tufton pointed out that there is a need, for example, for common commodities to be identified in the region and for the research capacity that is being provided by institutions like the Scientific Research Council (SRC), the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the University of the West Indies, and others "to build capacity behind these common commodities, so that these can become an important source of food for the region."

"Firstly, to satisfy the local needs within each territory, because we tend to focus a lot on trade between ourselves, when in truth and in fact, we are not even providing enough capacity to satisfy our local demands. We are looking for best practices, and what we are saying to regional Heads, (is that) we need to recommit ourselves by explicitly stating our commitment to building an agricultural sector that will work, and by supporting that with the necessary resources," he explained.

The Agriculture Minister pointed out that the other aspect, involves examining the role of agricultural policy in supporting energy requirements. "What is the role in agriculture in doing that? What are the various sources of bio-fuels that complement and not contradict or conflict with our need to provide food security? Are there crops that can be grown that are not going to take away what is required for consumption?" Dr. Tufton questioned.

Another issue that came out of the conference was the need to identify alternatives to corn as a source of protein, particularly in feedstock; it was suggested that cassava be utilised. The Minister noted that this was not only useful in terms of feed stock, but for human consumption as well, pointing to an experiment with nutri-buns, provided under the school-feeding programme, through the Education Ministry, where cassava flour was used to substitute up to 20 per cent of flour.

"The point is that there are alternative options out there. It is for us to identify them and to tap into them and to develop business models supported by research and development, that is going to provide those options, which will, in effect, allow us to determine our own destiny, rather than to be overly dependent on others to supply us," he said.

Dr. Tufton noted further, that COTED took the decision that Government policy must drive a process that encourages existing providers of feed stock to replace the imported content up to 25 per cent. "Instead of importing 100 per cent of corn, we have to use Government policy, whether through moral suasion or direct intervention, to encourage some of these persons who import 100 per cent corn to find an alternative to subsidise the corn that they import," he stressed.

The training workshop will seek to support the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP), region in building capacity to improve understanding, among leaders in the agricultural sector in ACP countries, of innovation framework systems. It emphasises how the major actors involved in an innovation system at the national level in any given sector and in particular, the agricultural sector, can contribute to improving and expanding innovation processes in support of socio-economic markets.

Families in conflict spend three-quarters of income on food

LONDON, UK, British Red Cross, 16 October 2008

She continued: “With the intervention of the Sierra Leone Red Cross after the war, it has been much better as it actively encouraged us to grow food for ourselves and to sell some, which has meant we are bringing in money. The profits are what we live on – taking care of the children and ourselves.”The Red Cross has provided seed rice to Nyanda’s group. The group will keep some to plant for the next season, sell some at the local market and eat the rest. “Everyone benefits from it,” she said. “We’ve had a good harvest this year and we’ve been eating twice a day. Cassava in the morning and rice in the evening.”


Households in countries affected by armed conflict spend as much as 75 per cent of their income on food, compared to 15 per cent spent by the average person in the UK, the British Red Cross announced on World Food Day (16 October).The Red Cross helps communities suffering from conflict and lack of access to food all around the world.

Drought in Afghanistan

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Afghan Red Crescent are distributing 500 truck-loads of emergency food aid to people in desperate need in four remote, far-flung provinces in the north of the country before the onset of the harsh Afghan winter next month.

Around 280,000 people are suffering the effects of the worst drought in a decade. With no food, no money to buy seeds, and no guarantee it will rain, the outlook for the winter harvest is bleak in an area that relies on rain-fed farming.

Thousands of families are expected to leave their homes in search of food and work.

Their plight is compounded by rocketing food prices. Across Afghanistan, large numbers of people cannot afford to buy essential staples like wheat and rice. The cost of flour, for example, has doubled in less than a year.

Growing again in Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, the Red Cross community animation and peace support programme (CAPS) helps communities recovering from war set up work groups to grow food.

Women like Nyanda Albert (28) work on vegetable gardening, while men take care of the bigger farms that produce their staple food of rice and cassava.

Nyanda said: “After the war we were barely living on cassava and bush yam. It was survival of the fittest.”

Bringing in money

She continued: “With the intervention of the Sierra Leone Red Cross after the war, it has been much better as it actively encouraged us to grow food for ourselves and to sell some, which has meant we are bringing in money. The profits are what we live on – taking care of the children and ourselves.”

The Red Cross has provided seed rice to Nyanda’s group. The group will keep some to plant for the next season, sell some at the local market and eat the rest.

“Everyone benefits from it,” she said. “We’ve had a good harvest this year and we’ve been eating twice a day. Cassava in the morning and rice in the evening.”

Mothers' Union DR Congo

by Fiona Thomas

SWITZERLAND ReliefWeb (press release) - Geneva, Oct. 16, 2008

Mugisa Isingoma, from Mothers' Union DR Congo, reports from Boga, that the teams need Cassava, soya beans, maize flour, sugar, rice, cooking oil and salt to meet the needs of increasing numbers of displaced families. An additional provisions of mosquito nets for small children and plastic sheeting to protect families from the rains, which are just starting, are also required.


Mothers' Union members in Eastern DR Congo report a huge rise in the number of people displaced through the escalating violence in the region. Currently the charity are feeding 250 families of vulnerable, displaced mothers and children in the Boga region and are on standby for news from the Bukavu area.

An immediate relief grant of $5,300.00 is being sent to facilitate delivery of relief in the area. Local grassroots workers are appealing for help feeding the hundreds of people needing their assistance.

Mugisa Isingoma, from Mothers' Union DR Congo, reports from Boga, that the teams need Cassava, soya beans, maize flour, sugar, rice, cooking oil and salt to meet the needs of increasing numbers of displaced families. An additional provisions of mosquito nets for small children and plastic sheeting to protect families from the rains, which are just starting, are also required.

Worldwide President of Mothers' Union, Rosemary Kempsell, spoke yesterday to highlight the particular risks to women caught up in the war. "Women are, we hear, increasingly being subjected to rape and worse. We [Mothers' Union] need to do all we can to support the relief efforts of our team in DR Congo at this time."

Fiona Thomas
Communications Officer
Mary Sunmer House
24 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3RB
+ 44 20 7222 5533
www.themothers.union.org

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