Ministry of Agriculture

		PRINT THIS			SEND TO A FRIEND

Members of the Wilmington Action Group prepare to seal bags of processed sweet cassava leaves.

The Wilmington Development Action Group in St. Thomas is earning valuable foreign exchange from the processing of sweet cassava leaves for the Canadian market.

This seven year-old farmers' group, which is comprised of 11 men and women, manufactures coconut-based products such as gizzadas, grater cake, coconut drops and bustas for the local market, but has added the processing of young sweet cassava leaves, which would normally be thrown away after reaping, at the request of a buyer in Canada.

The Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project (EJASP), a European Union-funded agricultural development programme, has been helping the group to promote its cassava leaf product and some $300,000 has been spent on the venture over the last three years.

Recently, EJASP provided a commercial freezer valued at some $228,000 for the group to store the finished cassava leaf, which is air freighted frozen to Canada. Additionally, approximately $50,000 was used to purchase an electric sealer, industrial blender and sealed plastic bags, in which the product is stored for shipment.

Marketing Adviser at EJASP, Janet Lawrence, tells JIS News that some 1,000 kilograms of the packaged cassava product was shipped in April 2003 to the importer. "We have just gotten the new freezer and we are awaiting a new order from the importer to start the process once again," she says, adding that production had to be postponed due to the difficulty of freezing the product in a household freezer, which was previously used by the group.

The Wilmington Development Action Group was started by the now defunct Morant/Yallahs Agriculture Development programme, with the aim of creating jobs for rural communities. They were provided with a marketing/agro-processing building to produce their coconut products.

Mrs. Lawrence informs that the processing of the cassava leaf product began in 2000 after a Canadian doctor expressed an interest in acquiring processed sweet cassava leaves for the African market in that country. Cassava leaf is a major component of the diet of much of Africa and constitutes a significant source of dietary protein, minerals and vitamins, including Vitamins A and C.

"Being present in a parish that produces a large quantity of sweet cassava, we decided to use this group to do the processing," she says.

"We started developing this industry. The importer needed to start off with a 1,000 kilograms of sweet processed cassava . so we obtained leaves from the farmers in the surrounding areas and the group decided to process the leaves," Mrs Lawrence explains further.

Training courses in good manufacturing practices were conducted by officers from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Home Economics/Social Services Division, to help the farmers develop the product.

"They give the group the support by showing them what the product should be like, the grinding process and also how to package," she tells JIS News, stating that members of the group, EJASP officials and the importer also visited farms in St. Thomas to look at the quality of the leaves and to speak with farmers
Mrs Lawrence says that EJASP will continue to help the group in the marketing and expansion of their business. "The commercial freezer will not only be used for the cassava product but also for other frozen items which they hope to develop out of what they have," she says.

Mrs Lawrence points out that the group could face competition from other European countries, which also produce cassava leaves for markets in Canada, "so we have to go in with a competitive nature," she says, adding that farmers in the parish were being encouraged by the RADA office in St Thomas to grow more sweet cassava.

She says that there were no plans to expand the project beyond St. Thomas where the cassava leaves were readily available, but informs that efforts would be made to expand the market and improve the processing of the product.

RADA Extension Officer for Morant Bay Lennox Bartlett, who is responsible for monitoring the group, observes that the cassava project will provide "an extra incentive" for cassava farmers. He says that the leaves, which would normally be seen as trash, could be reaped at periods before the main crop was ready. "This would not affect the growth of the tuber in any way," he adds.

The Extension Officer said he did not foresee any problem in terms of the availability of cassava leaves, since there are a large number of cassava farmers in the parish.

Meanwhile, President of the Wilmington Action Group, Donovan Wallace, says that the group was concentrating on its coconut products while awaiting the next order for the cassava leaves. In the meantime, he says, discussions are also taking place with EJASP about how to improve efficiency of the cassava project.

According to Mr. Wallace, members of the group have attended training courses in business, environmental and quality management conducted by personnel from EJASP and the Scientific Research Council, while training sessions, which focused on marketing and product management, were done by the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC). The farmers were also certified and issued with food handlers permits.

Mr. Wallace reveals that the growing of vegetable crops and livestock rearing were the main activities of the Wilmington group when they started some seven years ago. The group's membership, which stood at 60, has declined over the years, with some persons moving on to other interests. Since then, focus has been placed on agro-processing utilising the crops that are grown in the community.

The group bakes about 40 dozens of gizzadas per week, utilising about 70 coconuts. The gizzadas are sold to shops in St. Thomas, while grater cakes and bustas are only produced when ordered. "The business can sustain itself, but it can be extended if we get more markets, then we can employ a few more people from the community," he points out. He notes that the lack of transportation has prevented expansion of the agro-processing business.

"I do my own marketing but the transportation to take us from here is very difficult," he says, noting that had approached the JBDC for a loan to purchase a van to deliver the goods.

Despite the challenges, Mr Wallace is hopeful that the business will succeed, especially now that the group has gotten the industrial freezer. "They say that everything that starts here (Wilmington) never goes anywhere, so I'm trying to change that," the President says.

		PRINT THIS			SEND TO A FRIEND