Young champion farmers get $2m boost
Chelisa Osbourne, 32, of Trewlany, and 25-yearold Julio Gordon of Hanover were crowned the Champion Male and Female 4-H Farmers last weekend at the 68th staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in Clarendon.
They both received $2 million and are looking forward to using their prize money to expand their businesses. For Osbourne, the win is vindication of the path she chose. After completing her studies at the University of Technology, Jamaica as a registered nurse, she “jumped from health to agriculture”.
“I had a lot of naysayers saying I was wasting my life, but it was believing in myself and realising I can do [it] that saw me pressing on,” she shared.
Although she still does nursing part-time, her primary focus is agriculture, where she plants West Indian red peppers. She stressed that farming is not just for old people, but for everyone who can play their part in building the country. Gordon, who does livestock farming, as well as some crop production, said it was destiny for him to choose farming. He recalled that from age eight, he and his brother used to dig up his uncle’s yams and plow the fields. He also noted that several relatives were engaged in farming, which kept his interest growing. He said he is trying to better manage his business as his goats feasted on his pineapples.
“If you are in the business of goat care and management, it is crucial you ensure that you have them under close observation,” he said. Gordon also cautioned farmers to ensure that the chemicals they use are sourced from farm stores, and advised them to keep in touch with a veterinarian. Gordon said his biggest fear is praedial larceny and as a young farmer who invested his life’s savings in the business, he said he would be devastated if he woke up one day to find all his produce gone.
He shared his concerns with Agriculture Minister Pearnel Charles Jr, who assured farmers that he has put together a specialised team to tackle the issue.
“I can assure you that they are working, they are developing terms of reference, strategic plans; they are making the decision that they need to make, they are working with the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” he shared. Charles Jr said that recently, awareness seminars have been held with several units of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, to ensure that the police can understand the legal framework required in tackling criminals. The minister said a comprehensive strategy has been put in place to battle praedial larceny, including the use of the genome sequencer, a tool that tracks the DNA of cattle and other livestock.
“We want to make sure that we use the technology that will be able to connect the livestock to the shop that is selling them; so that when somebody steals your cow and steals your goats, which is tagged, and once we know the information, we will be able to get to the person who has the meat, test it, and connect,” he explained.