PIOJ Growth-Inducement Strategy - Planning Institute of Jamaica
PIOJ Growth-Inducement Strategy - Planning Institute of Jamaica
PIOJ Growth-Inducement Strategy - Planning Institute of Jamaica
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Figure 9.4. Proportion <strong>of</strong> Primary Agriculture<br />
Contributing to Intermediate Demand for<br />
Countries in the Americas<br />
Source: Contribution <strong>of</strong> Agriculture to Sustainable Development in<br />
<strong>Jamaica</strong>, IICA 2009.<br />
* Serving as inputs to the rest <strong>of</strong> the economy, inclusive <strong>of</strong><br />
agro‐ processing, hotels and restaurants.<br />
** Weighted average excluding <strong>Jamaica</strong><br />
According to the Inter-American <strong>Institute</strong> for Cooperation on<br />
Agriculture (IICA), the performance <strong>of</strong> agriculture and its<br />
contribution to countries’ economic development has<br />
traditionally been undervalued due to the non-measurement <strong>of</strong><br />
its backward and forward linkages with agro industry, the<br />
services and trade sectors, and, in general, the rest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
economy. If agriculture’s contribution is calculated using the<br />
extended approach that takes into account its interdependence<br />
with the food and agro industry sector, national figures are<br />
usually higher.<br />
Although the agricultural sector’s spillover effect on the<br />
<strong>Jamaica</strong>n economy is fairly high, it still lags behind those for<br />
its regional and international comparators.<br />
5.0 Infrastructure and<br />
Agriculture<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the sectors that have<br />
consistently contributed to<br />
economic growth in <strong>Jamaica</strong> is<br />
agriculture. <strong>Jamaica</strong> has an<br />
enviable built and institutional<br />
infrastructure for both animal<br />
and crop production. It has over<br />
the years built an international<br />
reputation for high quality agro<br />
products; bananas, Blue<br />
mountain c<strong>of</strong>fee, sorrel, rum,<br />
papayas, ackee and lately with<br />
possibilities for the exports <strong>of</strong><br />
yam based on the testimonies<br />
<strong>of</strong> Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt.<br />
However much <strong>of</strong> this<br />
production capacity and human<br />
resource lies idle or<br />
underutilized.<br />
There are serious challenges for<br />
the sustainability <strong>of</strong> rural<br />
agriculture. A key factor is the<br />
cost, reliability, quality <strong>of</strong><br />
product and delivery to major<br />
markets such as Kingston, the<br />
major tourism plant on the<br />
North Coast and to the port for<br />
export. Typically, smaller<br />
producers and local agriculture<br />
traders are the most heavily<br />
affected by dilapidated roads<br />
and failures in trucking<br />
regulation.<br />
Extensive empirical studies<br />
demonstrate that investment in<br />
infrastructure is essential to<br />
increase farmers’ access to<br />
input and output markets, to<br />
stimulate the rural non-farm<br />
economy and vitalize rural<br />
towns, to increase consumer<br />
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