“Do you see yourself as an Industrialist?” - Developing Jamaica’s Small Ruminants Industry
In Jamaica, the small ruminants sector has been slow to develop as a sustainable and lucrative industry. The Jamaican Government and its people have made efforts to improve breeds and diversify products to include cosmetics, clothing, goat cheese and goat milk, but the production quantity has often been small and unable to contribute to substantial development of the industry. Additionally, in order to meet the demands for chevron and mutton, an increased amount of small ruminants produce is imported. Arising from this situation and the implementation of Jamaica's National Development Plan- Vision 2030, FAO is providing support to the Government of Jamaica in formulating a Small Ruminant Industry Development Plan. To initiate the formulation of this plan, a wide range of stakeholders are being engaged through a series of consultations.
“Do you see yourself as an Industrialist?”
This was the question posed to several small ruminant farmers and agriculturalists during the first FAO Small Ruminants Industry Development Plan Stakeholder Consultation in March 2018. The question forced many to think about what this involved and whether they were ready or even equipped for the role of an industrialist.
During the consultation, stakeholders identified challenges ranging from social and cultural behaviours and practices to insufficient and lacking policies, legislation and data on small ruminants production. Several participants questioned the business acumen of small farmers seeking to expand, and wondered if many Jamaican small farmers had at all honed the requisite knowledge and skills for owning and operating a viable business.
On the other hand, stakeholders identified significant opportunities and strengths during the consultation. Some of these included untapped marketing potential for local produce, vast availability of land and farmers, the demand for chevon and mutton and for greater commercialization of goat products as a nutrition option, the potential for improving breeding stocks, and opportunities for tapping into the technical expertise and resources of FAO and the Small Ruminants Association of Jamaica. Input from Jamaica’s Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit also shed light on mitigation measures to consider in developing the industry in Jamaica.
As the first of several multi-stakeholder engagement sessions, stakeholders were able to visualize their potential as industrialists and learn about the actions necessary to achieve this goal. The session also exposed the structural and policy gaps to be addressed in order to have a robust small ruminant sector and allowed stakeholders to study how their relationships with each other could be strengthened.
The discussions have better-positioned FAO to assist the Government in the formulation of a roadmap for improving production and productivity of chevon and mutton in accordance with global best practices, promoting product diversification, and creating greater income opportunities. FAO will support the development of governance and implementation structures of the small ruminants industry, support value chain development, market analyses and the development of a participatory and gender responsive plan within the context of climate change impacts to small islands. FAO will also provide regional expertise to assist in this process and seek to expand the role of the private sector to encourage a robust and resilient small ruminants sector.
The Small Ruminant Industry Development Plan is scheduled to be completed in 2018. The Plan should pave the way for strengthening food systems in Jamaica and contribute to improved food security and livelihoods, job creation, and greater opportunities for participation of the small ruminants sector into the hotel and hospitality industries.