JAMAICA’S FARMERS- A DYING BREED- WHY??- Joseph L. Patterson

Why are all our breadbaskets disappearing and our foods are now being imported

History of Jamaica’s Declining Agricultural sector: The decline in agriculture's share of both GDP and the labor force continued in the 1980s. From 1980 to 1985, agriculture as a share of GDP dropped from 8.3 percent to 5.7 percent. Likewise, the percentage of the labor force in agriculture decreased from over 30 percent in the 1970s to 24 percent by 1985. 

Jamaica Exports- 2016

Jamaica’s Total food exports amounts to less than US$ 100.00 Million per year

Jamaica Imports- 2016

Vegetable, Fruits and Nut Food Preparations   US$ 79.92, Million, Miscellaneous Edible Preparations   US$ 118.3 Million, Meat, Fish, Seafood Preparation                                      US$   60.9 Million, Fish, Crustacean, Aquatics Vertebrae US$   58.6 Million, Meat, Edible Meat US$   57.9 Million, Sugars and Sugar Confectionary US$   54.9 Million.

Regrettably, Jamaica's dependence on imported food continues to increase each year, signaling several dangers, beginning with the fact that in an emergency we could not feed ourselves.- WE MUST STOP THIS TREND

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