More Jamaicans turning to backyard farming

That’s the view of all local agriculture suppliers Old Harbour News interviewed during Friday’s W&B Farm Expo.

Minus empirical data, the suppliers claim they have been seeing a sharp rise in the purchasing of small packets in addition to more persons requesting information about farming on a small scale.

• Lileith Hesty seeks to boost farmers’ knowledge with W&B Farm Store Expo

Horane Lawrence, sales agronomist, Agri Depot said: “We noticed a trend where a lot people trying to become more food secure at home, so they are picking up backyard farming, so it’s an area of focus as well.”

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and now the Russia/Ukraine conflict the global economy has shrunk with trade across the continents severely disrupted.

As a result prices of goods have skyrocketed with petrol, wheat and other commodities having a major impact.

Backyard gardening is a “noticeable trend” nowadays, said Andre Gordon, marketing development officer, H&L Agro.

“Persons are becoming more health conscious and growing their food and especially with the increase in the prices of food we are seeing a lot of persons getting into the agriculture aspect,” Gordon said during a brief chat with Old Harbour News.

The pandemic have brought untold hardships for many but to others it was a blessing because “persons had had the time to get home and engage in their farming activity,” added Gordon.

Technical sale representative at St Jago Farm Supplies, Louis Campbell, said he has been noticing a rush on seed supplies, primarily vegetables.

“That’s an indication more persons are getting into farming, which is a positive trend for the country’s food bill,” noted Campbell.

Backyard farming has always been an area of interest for major feed supplier HiPro, also the island’s sole distributor of the Pandia seed brand develop specifically for the tropical climate.

“There was an initiative where one of the times we were pushing for backyard gardening,” said Marlon Gordon, technical sales rep at HiPro. “We wanted to even start a backyard competition, but it never got underway.”

Added the HiPro representative: “As it is we are seeing more and more people coming to the stores, whether it’s W&B [Farm Store] or its HiPro, and they are getting their small packs of seeds, everybody getting involve in this backyard farming.”

There are multiple benefits derived from this ancient practice that has withstood the test of time. The economic savings have a knock-on effect, while it’s therapeutic and gratifying as well.

Seeing more persons being engaged into backyard farming is an indication that agriculture is moving into the right direction, Gordon of H&L Agro believes. He said some persons have even branch out into bigger production, another encouraging sign.

It doesn’t take a lot of money for one to begin farming in their backyard with a little as $300 for a small pack of seeds. However, profits margins are determine “by the amount of money invested and care towards the plants,” noted HiPro’s Gordon. As an agronomist, he is calling for the cultivation of a new farming culture.

“Everyone should get involve in doing a little backyard gardening that will save some money in your pocket, as well as you can now determine what type of chemicals you use on it, more and more persons are getting health conscious,” he told Old Harbour News.

“Farm suppliers have made themselves accessible to the general public who you can contact online through social media and website in which a representative is available online to speak to the offering of solutions to a wide range of questions.”

Campbell agrees.

“We need to till the soil and produce a lot more,” he contends, while commending the Ministry of Agriculture on an initiative distributing seeds to small farmers across the island.

“More people will have work,” added Lileith Hesty, proprietor of W&B Farm Store.