Abstract
THE report of the Agricultural Policy Committee of Jamaica appointed in May 1944 has now been published (Kingston, Jamaica: Dept. of Agriculture. Is.). The terms of reference were wide, including the definition of a policy for the utilization of land resources, a policy for agricultural development, proposals for co-operation between producers and the Government, and the co-ordination of all Government services concerned with rural development. Jamaica is entirely dependent on the land for sustenance, and there are no manufactures based on imports of raw material. The total available land is inadequate for the needs of the present population, quite apart from the fact that much of the land has been misused and that the capital essential for large-scale rehabilitation is lacking. In its report, the Committee shows the urgency of the situation and puts forward a number of specific proposals to remedy it. Among the recommendations made is the establishment of a land authority for the purpose of bringing all land into proper use, and the suggestion that relief employment should be directed into productive channels, such as improvement in water supplies, soil conservation or afforestation. Emphasis is also laid on the need for progressive policies on questions of housing and education. As regards economics, colonial preference and long-term guarantees as to markets and prices are considered essential for the future prosperity of Jamaica, while to promote a general increase in efficiency, practical proposals are brought forward for improving organisation and co-ordination of Government departments.
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Agricultural Policy in Jamaica. Nature 157, 580 (1946). https://doi.org/10.1038/157580a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/157580a0