Dairy could bridge the agriculture-tourism gap - Grizzle

If there is one person in western Jamaica who is upbeat about the steps being taken to resuscitate Jamaica's dairy industry, it is Negril hotelier/farmer Daniel Grizzle. Grizzle, who grew up in eastern Hanover, says that like many other rural boys, that his parents depended on livestock farming for a livelihood. They sell milk to the neighbouring Montpelier milk-processing plant in St James.

"From Chester Castle, Shettlewood the whole of Hanover right back - the only cash most of us were able to go to school by was the fortnightly milk cheque," recalled Grizzle.

We would milk our cows manually and take it to a given point, and the truck would come by early in the morning, take the milk to Montpelier, and the next fortnight you are guaranteed a cheque. That would keep us in school and buy the books. We fed ourselves from what we grew, but the milk was the real cash."

Grizzle, who operates the Charela Inn in Negril, says that there is a huge opportunity for dairy farmers, due to the strong demand for farm-fresh milk, in the tourism sector.

"So with all the hotels along here, there is only the Edwards Dairy in the Montpelier area, but they cannot supply most of the businesses not even a tenth.

"I was in dairy farming until a few years ago. We used to take our milk to a factory in Llandilo (Westmoreland) and it was put in the cooler here and the truck came and took it to Bog Walk," Grizzle told Western Focus.

"I think it's a very important thing, and I tell you, it would generate a lot of employment, and we would reduce the importation," Grizzle told Western Focus. "... in the hotel industry, we use a lot of cream for cooking. All of that is now imported. Most hotels would much prefer having fresh, genuine milk because everybody wants better quality food.

bridge the gaps

In stating that western Jamaica has some of the best atmospheric conditions for cattle-rearing, Grizzle said, the industry could reverse unemployment in the region and bridge some of the gaps between tourism and agriculture and build other support industries.

"It is sad that we really did allow it to decline, but it is great seeing that the wisdom is there to realise that we must bring back the dairy industry," said Grizzle. "Also important is the amount of jobs that could emerge in other industries such as refrigeration people and electricians."

"When people feel that are getting benefits from tourism, that is the best security you have," continued Grizzle. "Believe me! Dairy is something that could make a huge impact on the lives of people in the rural areas because especially with cane going out, even if the man has 10 cows, there is milk, he gets cash at the end of the month, and he still can go and grow whatever crops he wants to grow."

- C.G.