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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 />

138

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