When people think of agriculture, they generally associate it with planting food crops. But it is a much wider field than that. We need to think of it in modern terms and current realities, with a sharper focus on the business and science elements of the process, says Pathmanathan Umaharan, Professor of Genetics at The UWI.
It is a cultural and mental shift that needs more than a shove to move it from its firmly rooted base.
Recently, as farmers complained that agricultural land was being diverted to housing, even the Minister of Agriculture conceded that agricultural development would not happen without land, but he too appeared to be in a land-locked frame of mind.
In the small islands of the Caribbean, the availability of land will always present a challenge for farmers to reap economies of scale, and with populations growing, the allocation of land will continue to provoke debates.
Bio-business is the strategically viable and profitable way to develop agriculture, says Prof Umaharan. Food security is extremely important, he readily agrees. .. read more>>
Photo: ALEX SMAILES |
