The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), at the start of national Farmers Month April 2013, launched its newly developed strategy of increasing the data collection capacity of its extension officers, to serve farmers more efficiently and effectively. RADA’s clients are comprised of some 230 -thousand farmers.
Some 124 computer tablets were assigned to the Authority’s field officers, at the start of April, to further enhance efficient collection of data needed to grow the sector, as well as provide off-shoot services; such as real time communication, between field officers and the police in crimes affecting the sector, such as praedial larceny.
The strategy rolled out this week; is focused on increased technology usage by the RADA’s extension officers, to achieve better performance in their field operations…which enhance the growth and development of the Agriculture sector. Extension service to Farmers is the core function of the Authority. A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a one-piece mobile computer.
Devices typically offer a touchscreen, with finger (or stylus) gestures acting as the primary means of control. In delivering the main address at the handover of the tablets, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MOAF) Donovan Stanberry indicated that the move to have the Authority’s extension service use such cutting edge technological equipment at this time was in line with the National Policy for Agricultural development.
That policy is seeking to build a higher number of persons to form a much stronger IT culture generally… and spillover into the Agriculture sector to improve current performances – as the Jamaican economy seeks growth, food safety and food security.
He said further that the aim between the RADA and the MOAF; as it relates to development of the sector is to move towards a greater alignment of the policy objectives set at the national level; especially with Agriculture being reaffirmed as one of the chief drivers of economic growth and development for the nation.
He called for and endorsed… more scientific interventions into the sector for its continued flourishing, particularly against the background for the need to get more out of less, as resources generally in all sectors are diminishing. Mr. Stanberry said the much touted IMF agreement is no panacea, and the 3.1 billion dollars set for recurrent expenditure for the Agriculture sector is way below the amount needed to grow and profit from Agriculture.
He said therefore this is the time for innovation and thinking out of the box. Lauding the move to use technology and science, to get from the same assets in the Agriculture sector, he explained that technology tools are not status symbols, but a new method to do the work better and more effectively.
RADA’s extension service is critical to the sector the Permanent Secretary reiterated, and has become even more relevant, when juxtaposed against the government’s Agro –Park initiative which seeks to engage 8000 hectares of land for agricultural development.
This with the view to gaining as much from farming as the nation possibly can. He said that in this vein, something like equipping the field officers of the RADA with the tablets is an example to be followed - as anything to make the job easier and more impactful is something the MOAF has to endorse.
He congratulated the RADA national board, saying the project is noteworthy coming as it did, from that board’s strategizing. According the Permanent Secretary the project shows the promise of positives to come under this board.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that Jamaica is in a place where in nominal terms it is an imperative to get more out of less. Mr. Stanberry admitted that for the span of his career, this period in the nation’s history, has seen him come under the most pressure he has ever experienced for the span of his service as PS for the MOAF.
He said publicly that he has made a personal pledge that he will leave the job as PS at the Ministry; if the targets set for the way forward at this time, for the sector - are not met.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the RADA National Board Dr. Densil Williams articulated that along with the new modes of technological interventions, the Authority will be guided by the Board to help farmers in other areas such as: how to access their National Insurance Scheme NIS benefits, with a view to looking at life after their prime years as farmers had elapsed. The RADA National Board he says will take care of the Jamaican Farmer in all ways.
In the holistic approach by the RADA national board Dr. Williams added that heightened focus for this board is the provision of markets for locally produced produce, as well as devising ways of supporting the structure to sell the output of the nation’s farmers.
Dr. Williams committed his Board to the employment of a macro and micro approach, to the Authority’s work. This he says will be rolled out over the next year. He advised that the Board has as its chief priority a much more comprehensive and effective marketing plan than now exists, to support the nation’s farmers.
Photo 1: Donovan Stanberry Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Kingston Jamaica hands over a computer tablet to a RADA field officer to improve data collection to enable increased growth for the farming sector
Photo 2: Dr. Densil Williams chairman of the RADA National Board handing over a computer tablet to an enthused RADA field officer
