Mahfood Won’t Pay Sugar Cess

Jamaican manufacturers are banking on a retreat by the Government over plans to impose a US$35 cess on refined-sugar imports, but the Ministry of Agriculture and other officials appear to be holding fast for now to plans for the fee, which they say is needed to bankroll areas of the sugar sector.

William Mahfood, who runs one of the largest beverage manufacturing and distribution companies in the Jamaica, says he has not calculated the impact of the fee on his cost of doing business because has no plan to pay it.

"It's not even a matter of how it's going to affect us - we are just not going to pay the cess," said Mahfood, CEO of Wisynco Group. He added, however, that it would likely add "tens of millions of dollars" to Wisynco's production costs, and "hundreds of millions" across the manufacturing sector.

"It would make us further uncompetitive against Trinidadian imports because in Trinidad, the manufacturers don't pay such a cess," Mahfood said. He has similarly been vocal in his opposition to the cess as president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), which sees the fee as counter to the objectives of economic growth.

Some manufacturers have raised the spectre of outsourcing their production to Trinidad if Agriculture Minister Derrick Kellier does not back down. On Tuesday, one of the most vocal of them Lasco Group chairman Lascelles Chin said he would have to determine whether a move to Trinidad would take the form of contracting out his manufacturing to a third party or investing in and commissioning a plant there.

Kellier, who took office last year, began a review of the refined-sugar policy under which he initially proposed that the Sugar Industry Authority (SAI) would be the sole importer and distributor - a process that would force manufacturers to buy from SIA's designated agent.

To read full article: Mahfood Won’t Pay Sugar Cess

Taken from The Cleaner

It’s better to give than to receive

While there is a strong lobby to do more for nature and the environment, local stakeholder groups have gone beyond the call. Fishing and farming associations in Trinidad and Tobago are now promoting stakeholder-led education in an effort to sensitise children, students, policy-makers and the general public of the realities faced by those whose livelihood depends on Mother Earth.

On this milestone, agricultural economist and lead consultant Omardath Maharaj says “reducing vehicle emissions, pollution and unsustainable agriculture and fishing practices is as much an economic imperative as it is a social or environmental one. Displacing and disadvantaging the commodity value chains will shift or deplete our food sources while we ourselves, neither have the liberty to easily shift the source of livelihoods nor our taste and preferences.”

President of the Felicity Charlieville Fishing Association (FCFA) David Bachan concludes that “at this time it is better to give back to the earth more than the benefit of what has been harvested over the years.”

iTHINK Global Consulting Services has been partnering with the FCFA, Tableland Pineapple Farmers Association and other stakeholder groups in a number of activities designed to increase public education and awareness of the fishery, agriculture, environment, holistic lifestyles but as well to improve the socio-economic circumstances of those in rural and coastal communities while promoting youth engagement.

To read full article: It’s better to give than to receive

Taken from Trinidad Express Newspapers

How ICT innovations can help farmers

Empowering growers with the right information at the right time can improve yield

April 21, 2015:  

Public and private actors are looking for effective solutions to address challenges in agriculture, including how to address the abundant information needs of farmers and make agriculture profitable for them.  

Farmers need updated information to empower themselves in taking research to land, avail timely and adequate credit, seek and act on market intelligence reports and access market and negotiate prices. This critical information may increase farmer’s productivity, income as well as protect their food security and livelihoods. 

Using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in innovative ways through ICT-enabled services helps in disseminating timely information on agricultural advisories, financial services and agricultural marketing and risk transfer to the farmer to improve their capacity and mitigate risks.

Agricultural advisory  

 Farmers’ information priorities include accurate local weather forecasts, crop specific advisory sequenced according to the stage in the crop cycle and price information. ICTs helps in capturing real time weather parameters through remote sensors, collect commodity prices through mobile technologies and acquire updated research findings regarding crops through the web-based platforms of agricultural universities and research institutes.

The information, thus, collected is stored in database and triggered automatically to disseminate localised and personalised information on weather, commodity prices and crop cultivation to registered farmers through Short Messaging Service (SMS) and Interactive Voice response (IVR) over the mobile communication channel. This updated information empowers farmer as they are better informed and prepared themselves to utilise their resources profitably.

Read complete article here: How ICT innovations can help farmers 

Taken from http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/

Japan firms ready for agriculture technology transfer for VN

Speaking at a forum organized by the HCMC Hi-tech Agricultural Park last week, representatives of 12 Japanese firms said that they are seeking to transfer advanced farming and processing technologies to Vietnamese partners. They will also cooperate with local firms in exporting products to Japan.

While many Japanese firms have invested in manufacturing and services in Vietnam, cooperation in agriculture and technology transfer between both sides has yet to match its potential.

Tu Minh Thien, deputy head of the park’s authority, said technology transfer in the agricultural sector is still modest. Vietnam’s agriculture has yet to attract many foreign investors despite its huge potential.

The application of information and communications technology (ICT) in the agricultural sector remains meager, making it hard for the sector to improve productivity and boost export. Therefore, cooperation with Japanese firms will help Vietnam cope with these problems, Thien said.

Nguyen Tri Dung, general director of Minh Tran joint venture, which helps promotes technology transfer between Vietnam and Japan, said now is the right time for Vietnam to apply advanced technologies to raise productivity and improve product quality.

At the forum, Japan’s Syudensya Co. announced a US$1-million technology transfer to the Hi-tech Agricultural Park to make micro-organic fertilizer from agricultural byproducts.

Taken from VietnamNet

Food import bill ‘still high’

WHEN it comes to food, there should be no politics involved and Government should make every effort to reduce the food import bill which is still in the billions. This is according to Dhano Sookhoo, president of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago. Sookhoo told the Express yesterday that not enough was being done to encourage local farmers to sell their crops. In March 2014, the Food Production Ministry disclosed that the $4 billion a year food import bill, had been reduced by two per cent over a three year period, and that there had been a decline in the agriculture sector over the past 20 years. The ministry said that between 2010 and 2013, the agriculture sector has seen growth. Sookhoo said several local crops had potential to be exported such as hot pepper which was re-exported to Miami two weeks ago after a period of six years. Sookhoo said: “We need to put better policies in place that will enhance production. In the last three years you would know that there was a serious decline in food production in this country. We are nowhere near with tapping into becoming a food secure nation." She said: "There are thousands of acres of arable agriculture land that we need to get into production. The agricultural sector has no being in the politics of Trinidad and Tobago, it is the business of every one.” Sookhoo said: “As a farmer you can't be farming today and tomorrow somebody comes and remove you because they want to do some industrial programme or housing as the case may be , we need to ensure that those lands we put in agriculture stays in agriculture."

To read more, Trinidad Express Newspaper

Expert: Invest more in research to up agriculture

Dr Joseph Shivel, an economist and president of Galilee International Management Institute said while Kenya has seen tremendous growth in information, communications and technology (ICT), agriculture still lags behind. 

“Statistics show Kenya’s net exports in the past 10 years being negligible. Agriculture practised in the country is mostly subsistence and not mechanised. It is impossible for a country to develop when it is a net importer,” said Dr Shivel. 

Dr Shivel was the keynote speaker during the launch of Global Leadership Roundtable, a leadership and networking forum aimed at linking local professionals with counterparts in Israel. 

He gave example of Israel which has realised development despite being located in the middle of a desert and without mineral wealth and crude oil. “The fact that Israel does not have fertile land has made it invest heavily in education and research. Today, the country is a top exporter of skilled manpower. Its investment in research is paying off with export of agricultural produce,” said Dr Shivel.

Read more at: Standard Digital