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THE UNIVERSITY OFTHE WEST INDIES MONA campus

SUPPORTING THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

EDUCATION • RESEARCH • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

SUPPORTING THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

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PROBLEMS IN AGRICULTUREJamaica and the Caribbean are grappling with ahost of problems in the agricultural sector. Amongthem are: the crisis in food security, loss of foreignexhange earning capacity from agriculture and ris-ing fuel prices. If the sector is to survive these seri-ous challenges the UWI’s contribution will becrucial.

UWI INTERVENESUWI, Mona has already begun to respond. The Uni-versity is using a number of approaches, includingcollaboration with the Jamaican Government andthe private sector, introduction of new programmes,facilitation of advanced research to develop world-class agricultural products, mainstreaming entre-preneurship in agriculture, and the developmentand export of a greater range of value-added prod-ucts.

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UWI, MONA CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD

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Jamaica and the Caribbean are grappling with a hostof problems in the agricultural sector. Among themare: the crisis in food security, loss of foreign ex-

change earning capacity from agriculture and rising fuelprices. If the sector is to survive these serious challengesthe UWI’s contribution will be crucial.

UWI, Mona has already begun to respond. The Universityis using a number of approaches, including collaborationwith the Jamaican Government and the private sector,introduction of new programmes, facilitation of ad-vanced research, mainstreaming entrepreneurship inagriculture, and the development and export of agreater range of value-added products.

The UWI, Mona is unwavering in its commitment toplaying a primary role in finding solutions and trans-forming the sector. This commitment is part of a larger

one which the institution has made to the region. TheUWI Strategic Plan 2007-2012 has mandated the UWI to"provide a continuous flow of critical thought, scientificdata and insights that can help policy makers to makeinformed decisions on a wide range of matters with abearing on national and regional development and thequality of life of our people."

The institution is pleased to bring its expertise and in-tellectual leadership to the assistance of the agriculturalsector and play its part in charting the way forward.

Prof. Gordon Shirley, Pro Vice Chancellor & Principal, UWI, Mona

The UWI has the best collection of intellectual andphysical infrastructure in the region and also hasan impressive network of academic linkages

worldwide. Consequently, it is the best-equipped insti-tution in the Caribbean to lead the transformation ofthe agricultural sector.

It possesses the largest cadre of academics and researchfacilities to support the advancement of the sector.

THE UWI RESOURCES

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In preparation for research to evaluate the Hypoglycin A and B Con-tent and the Phytochemistry of Blighia sapida (ackee), UWI student researcher is using the texture analyzer to check the ackee's state ofripeness and to determine the variety of ackee for easy classification.

Working in laminar flow (sterile environment) using tissue culture technique on crop samples.

Conducting tests on food samples.

EXTENDING THE SHELF LIFE OF COCONUT WATERAND TROPICAL FRUITUWI, Mona researchers are currently investigatingmeasures to extend the severely limited shelf life ofcoconut water, which in recent years has gained sig-nificant popularity as a commercial drink. Techniquessuch as thermal processing have been used experi-mentally to improve its keeping quality. Additionally,investigation into the biosynthesis of ethylene mayunlock the secrets of fruit such as papaya and bread-fruit; post-harvest technology such as the use of sil-icone membrane and diffusion channels is alsounder investigation as a way of prolonging the shelf-life of tropical fruits.

RESEARCH ON JAMAICAN JERK PRODUCTS

It is known that Polycyclic Aromatic Nuclear Hydro-carbons (PAHs) are generally produced in grilled/bar-becued meats. Many of these have been found to bemutagenic/carcinogenic to varying degrees in exper-imental animals. Currently, UWI, Mona researchersare examining the conditions under which tradi-tional Jamaican jerked products are prepared, to de-termine the presence of possible carcinogenic PAHsin these foods.

FIGHTING DISEASES AFFECTING SCOTCH BONNET PEPPERSSparked by the difficulties faced by farmers acrossJamaica and the region arising from a virus that at-tacked the popular Scotch Bonnet Pepper, the Bio-chemistry Section of the Dept. of Basic MedicalServices (Medical Sciences Faculty) conducted inves-tigations into the strain of a virus affecting Jamaicanfarmers using molecular biology testing. Results re-vealed that the tobacco etch virus was the oneplaguing Jamaican farmers and it was shown to behighly transmissible from plant to plant. Throughcollaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture & Fish-eries, farmers were advised by extension officershow to manage the disease by avoiding contamina-tion of healthy plants by contact with diseased ones.

CONTROLLING MICROBES IN LOCALLY PROCESSED CHICKEN Chicken forms a major part of the Jamaican diet andis one of the most popular sources of protein.Chicken compost is also utilized as manure and inbiogas production. Uncontrolled micro-organismspose a threat not only to the safety of chicken forconsumption, but also to the shelf life, storage re-quirements and the quality of chicken compost. Re-search by UWI, Mona scientists focused onproducing effective methods of controlling and man-aging micro-organisms in locally produced chickenin collaboration with one of Jamaica’s leadingchicken brands, Best Dressed Chicken.

MAKING JAMAICAN PATTIES SAFE FOR LOCAL AND EXPORT MARKETSProducing the Jamaican patty is a technology-inten-sive speciality. Jamaica’s favourite fast food requiresan inviolable quality control system throughout theentire chain of food custody. Tastee is an iconic Ja-maican patty brand that has benefited significantlyfrom research done by UWI researchers. Their tech-nology application aids in preventing spoilage of ex-port products using the blast-freezing process.

COMBATING RINGSPOT VIRUS AFFECTING PAPAYAJamaica’s flourishing papaya export industry suf-fered severely in the 1990s with the Papaya RingspotVirus (PRSV) infestation of the crop. However, jointefforts between Cornell University and the Univer-sity of the West Indies produced several transgenicpapaya lines resistant to the virus, improving the ca-pacity and yields of the Jamaican papaya crop.

EVALUATION OF THE POISON CONTENT IN ACKEE TO FACILITATE EXPORTIn the 1950s, the Chemistry and Pharmacology De-partments at UWI, Mona were instrumental in iso-lating and identifying the toxic components inackee, namely hypoglycins A and B. The possibility oftraces of hypoglycin A (the causative agent of Ja-maican vomiting sickness) remaining in ackee pre-vented significant development of internationaltrade of the product. Efforts by the private sector and

government agencies in establishing safe limits ofhypoglycin A in processed ackees fueled renewed in-terest in the export of this quintessential Jamaicanproduct. UWI, Mona research was involved in the ex-traction of hypoglycin from the ackee fruit (Blighiasapida), measuring levels of the toxic amino acid in thefruit and the water used to cook it, eventually resultingin the acceptance of ackee exports into the USA andother markets.

SUCCESSES IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH The work of Mona researchers has impacted and continues to impact agricultureand its outputs. UWI, Mona is currently leading a number of agricultural devel-opment projects that are contributing to modernizing and developing Jamaica’sagriculture and food sector. Ongoing research in soil types, organic farming, nat-ural pesticides, disease control, biotechnology and genetic engineering is pro-ducing new and improved crops, processes and products:

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COMMERCIALIZATION OF MINI YAM PRODUCTION Developmental work by UWI, Mona agronomists andscientists has resulted in a more effective method ofproducing smaller, more uniformly shaped yams thatare more ideally suited to packaging for export.Through tissue culture and minisett technology, in-creased yam exports have been made possible, al-lowing for improved packaging capacity of a onceungainly and unattractive-looking product.

POST-HARVEST PRESERVATION OF BANANASControlling the ripening process in fruits has been aproblem for many years. Researchers at the UWI inconjunction with Mc Gill University have looked athow post harvest technology can enhance the shelflife of bananas.

Controlled atmosphere (CA) is most commonly usedto slow the ripening of fruits and to slow the decayof vegetables. For (CA) experiments, the use of asemi-permeable membrane was developed and usedto modify the composition of the air (3% O2 and 5%CO2) and prevent ripening.

(Left) Fruit stored in the controlled atmosphere re-mained unripe after 6 weeks and were of superiorquality to controls and fruits stored in different CO2/O2 atmospheres.(Right) Fruit stored at regular atmosphere were fullyripe after 29 days.

DEVELOPMENT OF EMBRYO TRANSFER TECHNOLO-GIES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE Sparked by the chronic instability of safe beef anddairy product supply on world markets and thethreats posed to Jamaica’s food security, research onembryo transfer technology presents the possibilityof finding effective ways to genetically improve theintrinsic quality of the local dairy herd, making itmore resistant to disease, increasing milk productionand extending the reproductive life of the cattle.

PRESERVING JAMAICA’S WORLD-CLASS CITRUSThrough a Citrus Replanting project sponsored bythe Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, UWI re-searchers are aiding the Ministry in controlling citrusdiseases and developing virus-free planting materialfor Jamaican tangerines and grapefruit tissue usingculture (shoot tip grafting) protocols.

JAMAICAN BITTERWOOD FOR TOP FOOD BRANDSJamaica exports more bitterwood than any othercountry – about 100 tons a year. Its extract is used in pesticides, as an animal feed component, and an essential element in many foodproducts and alcoholic beveragessuch as the aperitif Campari™.

UWI, Mona researchers havepatented a safe, quality-drivenprocess for extracting the activeingredients of bitterwood for export, creating more addedvalue than exporting theraw tree bark.

From research and development to policy formula-tion, the Government of Jamaica, for many years, hassought the expertise of the UWI, Mona to drive im-portant advances in agriculture. To this end, UWI staffmembers sit on the boards of numerous governmentand international bodies to ensure the interests of Ja-maica’s agricultural sector are known and protectedwhere possible.

More particularly, assistance from the UWI, Monacomes by way of collaboration with the Ministry ofAgriculture and several other ministries and agenciesin a wide range of areas from crop disease, food pro-cessing to socio-economic research related to agricul-ture. The UWI has also offered invaluable assistancein areas such as: land use planning; identification ofplants, pathogens and insects; analysis of biosolids infertilizers for possible microbes and heavy metals; andtissue culture training.

UWI, Mona is confident that by partnering withbranches of the Jamaican Government such as theMinistry of Agriculture & Fisheries, the alliance can de-liver the following desired outputs:• Identification, evaluation, adaptation and commercialization

of new technologies in agricultural production, processing andmarketing systems;

• Development and exploitation of new high yielding seeds andvarieties;

• New crop development;

• New approaches in crop irrigation techniques;

• Assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries in newprogramme designs to manage group conflicts and improveeffectiveness of group dynamics;

• Dissemination of research on soil types and soil nutrition toassist the sector in its attempts to improve yields;

• Determination of factors affecting productivity;

• Provision of training for entrepreneurs to take advantage ofmarket opportunities in the sector;

• Identification and development of solutions to practicaleveryday issues facing the farming sector;

• Development of new approaches to dealing with changes inthe weather patterns;

• Introduction of GPS mapping and associated technologies to assist the sector in zoning for particular crops or monitoring crop health;

• Development of new value-added products;

• Improvement in the supply chain management;

• Promotion of the modernization and expansion of agricultural products and services to improve productivity and competitiveness;

• Strengthening of agricultural organizations in trade capacity.

BUILDING STRATEGICALLIANCES WITH GOVERNMENT

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Professor David Sparling (left), Associate Professor and Dean, Col-lege of Management and Economics, University of Guelph,Canada; Professor Gordon Shirley, UWI, Mona Principal (centre)and Dr. the Honourable Christopher Tufton, Minister of Agricul-ture & Fisheries confer during the Caribbean Agriculture & Foodseminar hosted by UWI, Mona on March 3, 2009.

Dr. the Honourable Christopher Tufton, Minister of Agriculture &Fisheries (right) discusses an agricultural cartography display byMona GeoInformatics Institute with MGI’s Dr. Ava Maxam duringGeographical Informational Systems Day, November, 2007.

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DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CROPS FORSMALL FARMERS

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CROPS FOR SMALL FARMERSDecreasing prices for our main commodity

crops such as sugar and banana have in-creased the need to develop alternative crops

for our small farmers. Researchers at the Biotechnol-ogy Centre have identified alternative plants whichare ideally suited to become economically viable sub-stitutes. These crops are either farmed in small quan-tities or are in the wild. Many of them are used tomake herbal teas and root tonics and are of value asfolk medicine. Most famous among them are plantssuch as sarsaparilla, chainy root, medina, mints,strong back and ginger. Ginger has a huge economicpotential and had a large market in the past, but likeother crops, is now being attacked by a plethora ofsoil diseases and needs clean planting material.

A group from USAID/PARE, Dr. Sylvia Mitchell and Quickstep residentsat the handing over of plantlets for the Quickstep hardening facilityand demonstration plot.

In vitro sarsaparilla being grown for their roots which will be analysedfor saponin content.

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Tissue culture protocols are being developed atUWI, Mona to provide clean, elite planting mate-rial. Plantlets being propagated include many eco-

nomically important and medicinal plants such aspineapple, aloe, ginger, turmeric, fever grass, mints,scotch bonnet pepper, spirit weed, sarsaparilla andchainy root. Some of these plants, such as the chainyroot which is endemic to Jamaica, have been put intoculture for the very first time by the UWI, Mona.

Tissue culture protocols are also being developed forackee and native trees such as West Indian mahogany,breadnut, ramoon and bitterwood. Farmers in six dif-ferent communities across Jamaica (Flagstaff, Quick-step, Troy and Bunker's Hill in the Cockpit Country;Glengoffe and surrounding communities in St. Cather-ine; and Dallas in St. Andrew) have been trained totake data on the growth and yield of these plantletsand are in turn training other farmers.

The rooted plantlets, still in the tissue culture vessels,are given to the farmers who are trained to hardenthe plantlets to decrease the unit cost and to maxi-mize yield. Six hardening facilities and demonstra-tion plots have been established in thesecommunities. The farmers are also trained to collectdata on the growth and yield of these new crops tofacilitate informed decisions about increasing theirproduction.

The next step in the process is the development ofprimary drying procedures and facilities for the har-vested crops to prepare them for the processors.

This intervention by the UWI, Mona will providemore locally grown, readily accessible raw materialfor our local processors who currently import largequantities of their raw material. It will also provideincome for the small farmers while protecting ourforests from over exploitation.

Tissue culture produced scotch bonnet plant growing in demonstration plot at Quickstep, Trelawny

(Above and right): Farmers taking data from tissue culturedpineapple plants growing in a field in Glengoffe, St. Catherine.

In-vitro growing tissue culture pineapple plantlets at theBiotechnology Centre's growth room, UWI.

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Figure 3: UWI Mona's Scholarly Outputs by Agricultural Categories for 2002-2009 (Total Outputs = 425)

Figure 4: UWI Mona's Services to the Agricultural Sector for 2002-2007

SCHOLARLY CONTRIBUTIONS TO AGRICULTURE Several faculties, cutting across many disciplines at UWI, Mona have made sustainedand lasting contributions to the development of agriculture and food security.

Figure 1: UWI Mona's Scholarly Outputs in Agriculture from the Faculty of Social Sciences for 2002-2007

THE FACULTY OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCESBetween 2002-2009, the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at UWI, Mona has produced a total of 425 researchpapers addressing the agricultural and food sectors. The vast bulk of these studies were produced by the BiotechnologyCentre and Departments of Basic Medical Sciences, Life and Marine Sciences, which accounted for 294 papers. Thesestudies illustrate the high levels of research interest UWI staff have demonstrated in agriculture and food technology:

Figure 2: UWI Mona's Scholarly Outputs in Agriculture from the Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciences and Related Institutes/Centres/Units for 2002-2009

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0 50 100 150

The Biotechnology Centre

Basic Medical Science

Life Sciences

Marine Sciences

TMRI

Agricultural Unit

Geography&Geology

Physics

ICENS

Natural Products Institute

MAS

Chemistry

Electron Microscopy Unit

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88

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44

34

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3

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The task of meeting the world’s food dietaryneeds with the required quantity, sufficiencyand affordability has become increasingly chal-

lenging. While this is not a new dilemma, it has ac-celerated in recent years. Concomitantly, food priceinflation and food supply availability have had an un-constructive impact on the social, economic and po-litical stability of many countries. This phenomenonis not limited to local markets. On the contrary, it’s aglobal reality. According to World Bank president,Robert Zoellick, approximately 100 million people areexpected to be forced into deeper poverty as a resultof rising food prices.1

INCREASED FOOD IMPORT BILLLast year alone, the food import bill of most develop-ing countries rose by some 25 percent, forcing gov-ernments to impose innovative price controls onfood tax regimes in order to keep food on the tablesof their poorest citizens. One strategy which manyregions and countries have undertaken is the devel-opment/expansion of the local agricultural sector toaddress the food security problem.

The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region reg-istered the largest increase of persons affected byfood insecurity - more than 14 percent between 2007and 2008. This increase was largely due to a drop incommercial import capacity as a result of a declinein the terms of trade. Even more instructive than theincrease in the number of people affected by food in-security was the 30% increase in the distribution gap.This meant that food insecurity not only expandedbut also became more intense.

HEAVY DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTSThe region depends heavily on imports of grains andvegetable oils. Grain imports increased from about30 percent of domestic supplies in the early 1980s toaround 50 percent in recent years. Food aid histori-cally accounted for a large share of imports, peakingat above 40 percent in 1987, but the region’s depend-ence on food aid has declined as strong economicgrowth lifted large numbers of people out of poverty.Food aid is still important in Haiti, the poorest coun-try in the hemisphere, and becomes importantthroughout the region during times of natural disas-ter. Food aid accounted for only 3 percent of total im-ports in the last 3 years. The region’s dependence onimports made it difficult to shield consumers fromrising grain prices.

UWI SOCIAL SCIENTISTS STUDY THE PROBLEMSWith the aim of identifying possible solutions, a groupof researchers in the Faculty of Social Sciences, UWI,undertook a research project which sought to explorethe global food crisis, the possibilities and problemsof the local agricultural sector and many of the prob-lems that farmers face.

The project was conducted in three phases: 1. A desk-study, which explored past and currenttrends in Jamaican agriculture (including successfuland unsuccessful initiatives), and compared agricul-tural best practices internationally, with a view toidentifying appropriate techniques/initiatives whichcould be transferred to Jamaica.

2. A qualitative study which involved interviews withkey stakeholders in the agricultural sector to explorethe current agriculture-food disconnect in Jamaicaand identify solutions.

3. A quantitative survey based on both the desk-studyand qualitative study, which explored issues such asproductivity and production problems and solutions,the use of technologies, youth in farming, the role ofthe government, access to capital and/or credit, is-sues of quality, logistics, institutionalisation, and sup-ply, as well as issues of poor local human capacity/knowledge/capabilities.

RESULTSThe findings of the study indicate that that there isa serious disconnect between agriculture-relatedbuyers and sellers in the Jamaican society. This hasmade the development of a strategy to meet localdemands problematic. The researchers referred tothis as the 'agriculture-food disconnect'. Other fac-tors compounding the problem include issues oftechnology (inadequate or inappropriate); weak po-litical will on the part of government, business andsociety; access to capital and/or credit; issues of qual-ity; logistics; institutionalization; supply problems onthe part of local producers; and poor local humancapacity/knowledge/capabilities.

The research also showed that the sector was under-performing. This deficit was attributable not only toa lack of an overall vision for the sector, but also to afailure to develop a cohesive strategic plan. Also con-tributing to the problem were cost of farm inputs (seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides); limited access to fi-nancial services; extreme weather conditions (hurri-canes, tropical storms and flooding); market logistics

TACKLING FOOD SECURITY ISSUES

1 http://go.worldbank.org/5W9U9WTJB0

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(gluts and shortages – see Figure 1); and a myriad ofcontradicting or ad hoc policy initiatives by the Gov-ernment of Jamaica. In addition, the academic com-munity has failed in two regards: firstly, it has failedto continually advance and promote agriculture, andsecondly, it has failed to replenish the aging farmingpopulation with youths who are suitable and qualified.

In addition, there are also other cultural and politicalissues that hinder the progress of the agriculturalsector. For example, culturally, farmers embrace tra-ditional farming techniques. As a result, productivitylevels have remained stagnant for the last 40 years.Moreover, it should be noted that some of thesefarming techniques currently in practice were devel-oped more than a century ago. Politically, successive

regimes have chosen not to carry on or provide con-tinuity for programmes and projects initiated by pre-vious administrations. This trend has led toagricultural programmes with objectives spanningbeyond a regime’s tenure in office being dismantleddespite their current or projected benefits.

THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY TO INFORM POLICY DECISIONSThe results of the study were shared with the Min-istry of Agriculture & Fisheries and some of the find-ings are already being implemented by the Ministryas part of its transformation of the sector. The studyis expected to influence the design of new policiesaimed at improving food security for Jamaicans.

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INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL &NUCLEAR SCIENCES (ICENS)ICENS is a multi-disciplinary research centre locatedon the Mona Campus. The Centre has a number ofstaff who possess skills in areas relevant to the agri-cultural sector in Jamaica. ICENS undertakes studieson issues that affect health, food intake, small farm-ing vulnerability, crop contents and land use, result-ing in the generation of data and interpretationslikely to contribute to the solution of many of theproblems in the agricultural sector. A significant partof its work involves investigations of the transfer ofpotentially toxic elements from soil through food tohumans. Its research also focuses on the exposure tothose elements through diet and, the possible miti-gating steps that might be employed. There is poten-tial for the work to cover enhanced uptake ofdesirable elements by plants for human/animal con-sumption. The main example of this work deals withthe link between soil composition on the one hand,and food safety/nutritional benefit (includinghuman health) on the other. In this regard the Centrehas looked at 37 elements in some food crops and

meats and has also examined the assimilation ofsome 40 elements in agricultural products and theconcentrations of these in the soils on which thecrops are grown. The data gathered from these stud-ies can be used for formulating nutrition, publichealth and imported/export food regulation policies.

Staff members are engaged in a number of researchareas such as geochemical mapping which involveson-going analysis of thousands of samples of soils,rocks, sediments, water & plants taken from accu-rately known locations, for as many elements as pos-sible (currently about 60). Existing information fromother programmes with geographically referenceddata, e.g. agricultural productivity, biodiversity, epi-demiology, geology, land use, and remote sensing arealso incorporated as layers into the database. ICENSalso engages in research to assess the essential ele-ments in soils and Jamaican foods, the presence ofheavy metals in Jamaican soils as well as its concen-trations in the kidneys and livers of ruminants, theuptake by plants and the monitoring of air pollutionin rural and urban areas using epiphytic plants.

MONA INSTITUTE OF APPLIED SCIENCES (MIAS)MIAS is responsible for accelerating research and de-velopment activities, cultivating entrepreneurs andcommercializing scientific and technological achieve-ments within the broad areas of the pure & appliedsciences. MIAS provides analytical, web-based andtechnical services to Jamaican firms, individuals andthe government of Jamaica. In recent times, MIAS onbehalf of the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries hasprovided analytical services in determining the toxi-cology of Jamaican cassava varieties which shouldlead to the development of value-added cassava-based products both for mass consumption as well asin the school system providing results are favourable.

MIAS is also engaged in a number of projects, themost notable being the Marine Aquaculture Devel-opment Programme. The essential feature of theproject is to establish a world class industrially-fo-cused research, developmentally-driven and com-mercialized Marine Aquaculture Programme inJamaica. The project will emphasize the productionof sea-water tilapia, in addition to the developmentof new marine species along commercial lines. Thetilapia project is expected to produce 20,000 metrictonnes of fish annually, yielding $56M in foreign ex-change/savings and creating 3136 direct and indirectjobs.

INTERNAL LINKAGESINTERNAL LINKAGES

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MONA GEOINFORMATICS INSTITUTE (MGI)MGI can provide technical assistance to the Ministryof Agriculture & Fisheries or UWI’s Agricultural Unitwith their projects, ranging from capacity buildingthrough specialized training in mapping and analy-ses, to detailed environmental and economic studiesof particular areas or sectors of society. MGI’s serv-ices include:

1. Visualization of agricultural areasa. 2D cartographic maps at any scale of areas of in-terest, showing existing or planned agricultural re-gions, the relationships to settlement, industry, orthe natural environment;b. 3D models of estates and estate features (detailedmodels of refineries, etc).

Modellingc. Environmental models to show impact of agricul-tural activity, either from existing data or from de-tailed fieldwork (GPS-assisted measurements can beplotted and modelled). Environmental models canalso show the viability of agricultural activity any-where in Jamaica;d. Hazard models can show vulnerability of the agri-cultural sector to flooding, saline intrusions, land-slides, etc, as well as the impact of agriculture on thehazard system of a region;

e. mInfrared modelling of land cover change andplant health;f. Multi-parameter site-selection modelling.

2. Simulationsa. Environmental simulations can show impacts andextent of disasters (storm surges, wind storms, flood-ing, etc) on agricultural areas. This can be presentedfor various scenarios, from mild to catastrophic. Arealdamage extent, as well as damage to assets can alsobe quantified;b. Economic simulations can show the potentiallabour force available for any sector. MGI has data onpopulation and demography, education level,poverty, and income;c. Logistics simulations of farm-to-market and distri-bution network.

3. Case Studiesa. Detailed case studies done by specialists can be in-corporated into GIS and used to create profiles for ex-trapolation to other areas.

4. High-Tech Optionsa. GPS tagging of agricultural assets – livestock, farmmachinery, etc;b. Development of farm management systems totrack inventory and telecommunications.

THE BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTREWith a wide array of skills geared to tackle problemsrelated to food and other issues in the agriculturalsector, the Biotechnology Centre boasts expertise inareas such as virus research, medicinal plants, tissueculture, transgenic crops and, root & tuber-bioengi-neering. The Centre also boasts four active researchgroups. The outputs from these various areas of spe-cialization have helped to find solutions to pressingagricultural problems. A prime example is a citrusplanting project aimed at developing effective meth-ods of controlling the Tristeza virus which is decimat-ing the country’s citrus trees. This project, which

generated clean planting materials for the industry,was successfully completed in January of 2007. TheCentre has also tackled important viral disease prop-agation and management in a range of vegetables,among other initiatives. The Centre also has an activeex situ and in vitro gene bank of many economical andmedicinal plants and is providing certified microbe-free elite planting materials for existing and newcrops to farmers for research and commercial pur-poses. Graduates of the Biotechnology Centre can befound throughout Jamaica leading the biotechnolog-ical thrust in many institutions such as SRC, NCU,UTECH, Coconut board and many private ventures.

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Department of Management Studies and the MonaSchool of Business through their programmes in en-trepreneurship, marketing, accounting and, tourismand hospitality management provide training to per-sons who can use these skills to develop programmesto commercialize the innovations in agriculture de-

rived from the other institutes in the UWI or anywherein the world. The development of profitable agribusi-nesses is essential to the sector and the Mona Schoolof Business stands ready to play an effective role increating them.

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCESThe Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) has the infrastruc-ture to support the agriculture and food sectorsthrough its course offerings, research and, consul-tancy work. The FSS possesses the requisite skills to

address directly, the problems related to commercial-ization, management and public policy issues regard-ing the agricultural sector. Furthermore, it providestraining to graduates who are a huge source of sup-ply of human capital to the sector.

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The Department of Sociology, Psychology and SocialWork through its course offerings and research canalso provide an invaluable contribution to agricul-ture. Within the department resides the expertisethat can help workers and managers in the sectordeal with issues such as job loss, negotiations withtrade unions, evaluations and promotions etc. Fur-ther, the department has the skills necessary totransform people’s thinking in relation to agriculturethat can address the problem of the unattractivenessof the sector to younger persons and the weak col-laboration among farmers which hinder their abilityto make meaningful gains in sales, production, mar-keting and distribution.

The high level of research, skills and courses that theFaculty of Social Sciences offers, demonstrates thatUWI Mona has the requisite breadth and depth toconfront the commercialization and managementproblems which hinder the development of the agri-cultural sector in Jamaica. The unique advantage forUWI is that all these skills and expertise exist in onelocation, thereby allowing easy access and also,economies of scale in knowledge creation for a na-tional innovation system in agriculture.

The Department of Economics and SALISES train grad-uates in economic planning, forecasting, interna-tional trade etc. which can be used to solve problemsrelating to production costs and optimal demand inthe agricultural sector. The rigorous training providedby these departments to their graduates is unparal-leled in the region.

The Department of Government through its training ofgraduates in areas such as International Relations of-fers a unique advantage to the agricultural sectorthereby providing it with ready access to experiencedand highly skilled professionals who can negotiatetrade deals that are beneficial to the local sector. Thisis very important in light of the erosion of trade pref-erences for the sector from developed nations in theNorth.

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CARDI has a mission to enhance the socioeconomicwellbeing of the Caribbean people through researchthat improves the competitiveness and sustainabilityof regional agriculture.

The Institute has offices in all CARICOM countrieswith the headquarters on the St Augustine Campusof the UWI. However, not all disciplines and expert-ise within the Institute’s portfolio are resident ineach country.

In Jamaica, the research team focuses on crop im-provement, livestock production, natural resourcesmanagement and capacity building.

Crop Improvement: CARDI specializes in the produc-tion and protection, using plant health and IPM tech-niques, of callaloo, cabbage, hot peppers, sweetpotato and coffee.

Livestock Production: The major focus in livestockproduction is on improving the breeds of goats andsheep and developing feeding systems from indige-nous materials to promote economic production.Natural Resources Management: CARDI concentrateson the management and rehabilitation of fragile andmarginal soils, as well as developing organic farmingsystems.

Capacity Building: CARDI uses the outputs of theresearch and development activities to train otherresearchers, extension agents, students and farmers,and also provide farmer services.

THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPHThrough a strategic alliance with one of Canada’sleading universities in agricultural science, the Uni-versity of Guelph, UWI, Mona has further demon-strated its committment to the collaborativeapproach to problem-solving. Both universities en-gage in collaborative research, training, informationand other reciprocal forms of cooperation in meetingthe agricultural challenges facing both nations. Onemajor area of collaboration was in the preparation ofa paper “Trends and Potential for West Indies Agri-culture and Food” which includes regional analysesand predictions for the agricultural sector.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (UTECH) The UWI, Mona enjoys an excellent relationship withUTECH and is prepared to establish linkages withUTECH in finding solutions to the problems facingthe country’s agricultural sector. Discussions have al-ready begun among UTECH, CASE and the UWI,Mona to establish a collaborative research centre atBodles and to enhance scientific research needed forthe advancement of the sector.

THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, SCIENCE & EDUCATION (CASE)Like UTECH, CASE is a member of the team of tertiaryinstitutions engaged in discussions with the UWI,Mona regarding the Centre of Excellence for Ad-vanced Technology in Agriculture at Bodles.

FACULTY OF SCIENCE & AGRICULTURE (FSA), UWI, ST. AUGUSTINEHaving developed an admirable tradition of excel-lence in teaching and research, the Faculty of Science& Agriculture (FSA) is well positioned to further thedevelopment of Jamaica’s and the region’s agricul-ture. The product of a merger of the Faculties of Agri-culture and Natural Sciences in 1996, the FSA wasseparated into the School of Agriculture (SoA) and theSchool of Science. The SoA is comprised of two depart-ments, the Food Production Department and the Agri-cultural Economics and Extension Department.

The FSA is able and willing to work with the MonaCampus to develop the necessary responses to ad-dress the needs of the Government of Jamaica andthe Jamaican agricultural sector. The programmescurrently offered by the FSA are extremely relevantto Jamaica and range from the certificate through tothe PhD level, many of which focus on agricultureand its sub-disciplines. The agricultural areas of studyat the MPhil/PhD level include Agricultural Econom-ics, Crop Science, Livestock Science and Soil Science. Atthe lower levels courses such as Agricultural Diversifi-cation, Tropical Agriculture and Tropical Animal Sci-ence & Production are offered.

One of the Faculty of Science & Agriculture’s promi-nent research projects carried out in Jamaica by theFood Production Department (FPD) and of immensevalue to Jamaica is the Breadfruit Improvement Project.

This project was designed to specifically address thewidespread decline/death of breadfruit trees in Ja-maica. The FPD imported stock of 29 improved bread-fruit lines from Hawaii. Plants were produced fromthese and ‘grown out’ in Trinidad. Suitable lines wereselected for distribution in Jamaica. The project is on-going.

THE AGRICULTURE UNIT UWI, MONAThe Agriculture Unit (AU) at UWI, Mona, representsthe School of Agriculture (SoA) of the Faculty of Sci-ence and Agriculture UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad andundertakes outreach to agricultural and related com-munities in Jamaica, and the region as necessary onbehalf of the SoA. The AU also coordinates the SoA’sExternal Programme in Agriculture (EPA) and theUniversity’s Certificate Programme in Agriculture(UCPA) in Jamaica. Additionally it carries out adaptiveresearch; and participates in UWI, Mona’s Life Sci-ences Department’s teaching, research, outreach andother programmes as determined by the head of theDepartment of Life Sciences.

CARIBBEAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (CARDI)CARDI, which has an office located on the UWI, MonaCampus, is the premier agricultural research and de-velopment organization in CARICOM and works col-laboratively with the UWI, Mona in addressingagricultural issues.

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EXTERNAL LINKAGES

Using the Integrated Pest Management approach (IPM), researcher ischecking and recording insect population in a sweet potato germ-plasm (preservation area for varieties of sweet potato to be used in research) maintained by CARDI.

THE NEW AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEUR

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The UWI through its new agricultural programmeswill produce and help sustain a new-generationagricultural entrepreneur. S/he will be an ICT-

savvy businessperson equipped with life-long learningskills for problem-solving, research, and business. Thisnew professional will be able to capitalize on theUWI’s knowledge bank, diagnostic services, faculty ex-pertise, and the resources of the network of partner-ships worldwide. This support structure will enablebetter decisions, optimum resource utilization andhigher levels of productivity.

The agricultural entrepreneur will be trained to seek outopportunities throughout the value chain from propa-gation to final consumption with a greater focus on thepost harvest segment where greater value can accrue.

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UWI, MONA MSc IN AGRICULTUREUWI, Mona is well-positioned to changethe fortunes of the agricultural sector byoffering the MSc in Agriculture throughthe Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciencesand the Faculty of Social Sciences withsupport from the Faculty of Science andAgriculture (UWI, St. Augustine). Severaldisciplines will intersect in the deliveryof this programme: basic, applied andagricultural sciences, business/manage-ment and technology.

There will also be alliances with practi-tioners and industry to ensure that stu-dents are afforded the opportunity tofind viable solutions to the real-lifeproblems facing the sector. Students inthis programme will be exposed to in-struction along the entire agriculturevalue chain with an emphasis on theuntapped opportunities at the higherend, such as processing, distribution,marketing and sales. Supporting thetraining in these advanced areas of thevalue chain will be adequate training inthe relevant and essential areas of ICT.

LEVEL ONE (SPECIALLY-ADMITTED STUDENTS)Business students1. Introduction to Agro-Environmental Management2. Introduction to Agriculture Crop and Livestock

Production3. Post Harvest Technology

Science students1. Management Accounting/Finance2. Marketing and Behavioural Theory3. Decision Models for Managers, Production

and Operations Management

LEVEL TWO (CORE COURSES)1. Research Methods2. Organizational Strategies, Standards and Risk

Management in Agricultural Production Systems3. Advance Crop Production Technologies4. Tropical Livestock Development5. Organizational Strategies for Diversified Farming

Systems6. Agricultural Marketing Systems Management

and Strategy 7. Agricultural Project Management8. New Venture Creation

LEVEL THREE (ADVANCED COURSES)1. International Entrepreneurship in Agricultural

Enterprises2. The Economics of Farms and Farming Systems3. Market Assessment and Analysis

LEVEL FOUR (FINAL PROJECT)1. Capstone Project (may include designing and

setting up businesses)

WHO CAN ENROLL? Entrants to this course are normally required to haveobtained an honours degree or its equivalent in agri-culture, forestry, botany, biological, soil, environmental,or social sciences; in rural development, developmentplanning and management or a related subject. Ap-plicants with other qualifications and who have atleast 2 years' professional experience in a relevant fieldof agriculture and development are also eligible toapply for admission to this course. Applicants that donot possess the requisite qualification and experiencewill be required to do pre-qualification courses in agri-culture/sciences and the social sciences. Referencesare also taken into account.

CAREER PROSPECTSGraduates from the MSc. in Agricultural Entrepre-neurship will be equipped with the necessary toolsto start their business along any aspect of the agri-cultural value chain. Graduates from this programmewill have the ability to work on their own and withinprivate, national and international development in-stitutions that focus on agricultural research and de-velopment.

OTHER AGRICULTURE-RELATED PROGRAMMESIn the pipeline are the BSc Tropical Horticulture andBSc Agriculture programmes with majors in Agron-omy, Livestock, Agritechnology, Communication andExtension, and Tropical Landscaping as well as cer-tificate courses in tropical agriculture.

NEW AGRICULTURALPROGRAMMESNEW AGRICULTURALPROGRAMMESCREATING THE NEW AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEUR

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Assessing growth and checking for possible disease and pest infestationof the callaloo in an exclusion cage. This is part of ongoing researchseeking to increase marketable yields of callaloo without using excessive quantities of pesticides.

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The UWI, Mona has an unsullied reputation for effec-tive national engagement; the requisite infrastructure;relevant and important local and international partner-ships; and an enduring commitment to working withgovernments in responding to the region’s needs ingeneral and the agricultural sector in particular.

Given the magnitude and far-reaching nature of issuesfacing the agricultural sector, the UWI is best posi-tioned, of all tertiary institutions in the region, to pro-vide the leadership required to solve the problems.

UWI LEADS THE TRANSFORMATION

UWI LEADS THE TRANSFORMATION

Using tissue culture technique to generate or to multiply sarsaparillaplanting materials for the field.

The UWI, Mona is increasingly lending its research and expertise to the agroprocessing industry (inset: a modern patty production line)

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Discussing a business plan for an agribusiness project.

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EditorsRose Marie Cameron

Joseph Lindsay

DESIGNersMichael A. Grant

Rose Marie Cameron

Published 2009 by the Office of the Principal, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus,

Jamaica, W.I.

©2009 UWI, MONA

All rights reserved.

THE UNIVERSITY OFTHE WEST INDIES MONA campus