Family-owned businesses, the unheralded saviour in times of peril

The devastation from the passage of Hurricane Beryl seen in parts of Jamaica has unearthed some longstanding issues and concerns held by farmers, market vendors and others who interact with both farmers and market vendors.

One of the concerns is that the farmers seem to get their full and deserved attention only during times of natural disasters, such as flooding, hurricane and drought. Part of the contention is that the business of farming and one of its main linkages, those who sell in farmers’ market, do not get the enough credit for ‘holding up the hands of government and the economy’.

Therefore, natural disasters such as Hurricane Beryl and the period of drought experienced earlier in the year have an ironic twist: they are bad for farming but help to bring deserved attention to farming and the activities closely linked to the sector. It’s a tale of ‘Cow neva know di use ah him tail til him lose it’.

If the contention of farmers and their main supporting linkages is true, then this would represent a backward step for family-owned businesses, FOBs, given that farming and the linkages to farming form part of the genesis of FOBs in Jamaica.

The two main themes that emerged from conversations with some farmers in south St Elizabeth and vendors in Coronation Market seem to support their contentions. Farmers and their vendors need to be recognised for their contribution to the Jamaican economy. The consequences of not doing this could result in the counting of the losses for a long time.

Research on entrepreneurship in the Jamaica revelated that the family is considered the ‘seat of entrepreneurship’. The same body of research revealed that a high percentage of FOBs had their genesis in agriculture/farming and its linkages.

During the time of shackle slavery, the men used their ‘free time’ to farm the land on Sundays, while the women sold or exchanged the produce from these farming activities in the farmers’ markets. Farming the land and selling in the farmers’ market have always been part of the bedrock of entrepreneurial activities among families in Jamaica.

Notwithstanding this reality, many in the sector complain of being treated as ‘second cousins’ in the discussion on entrepreneurship.

Historically, many Jamaicans, including a former prominent leader in the banking sector, have not included agriculture or farming on the list when discussing entrepreneurship. Mercifully, the tide has changed and the attitude towards farming and selling in farmers’ market continues to evolve. However, themes from post-Hurricane Beryl conversations with some farmers in south St Elizabeth and vendors in the Coronation Market suggest that they are not getting their props in in many areas, including “saving the government”.

POST-BERYL CONVERSATIONS

As a member of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group’s team that travelled to south St Elizabeth on Sunday, July 14, I engaged in chit-chats with a few farmers from two districts. The following represent some of the takeaways from these conversations, expressed from the perspective of the farmers:

• Farming activities are predominantly family-based and treated as the business that supports the family;

• Unfortunately, many people give us our props only when natural disasters, such as hurricanes and drought keep food from their tables ... “Cow neva know di use ah him tail til him lose it”;

• A wi save government many times ... by keeping unemployment rate down, because wi employ family members and other people in the community ... but dem nuh always give us our props for that;

• Working as family a business has its ups and downs, but mi prefer it than to work for other people ... like now, every family member ready to jump round and help in this recovery ... if it was different [not a family business], everybody woulda gone ‘bout dem business ... keeping the family in the business a de best option;

• The business is more than this [farming] ... people come and buy ... take it to the market ... sometimes one whole family buying from another family ... family business right through boss, you seet, wi nah get wi props;

• Farming also helps our children to move out ... no problem with this. Some people in the community, after a time, nuh want to do farming and nuh want the pickney dem [children] to get into farming ... even though it is a family business. But wi need people to continue after wi gone ... the same way different people from the same family are teachers, doctors and other professions from one generation to the next ... but de society look down on farming as a legit business, so the young people dem nuh too want to stick around ... yet a it a keep the family together and put money in wi pockets ... wi can even mek more money than some who are big teachers and big doctors. Everybody a fi eat, so government and the big man dem must give us our props [recognise us as important members of the economic ecosystem].

• Mi not giving up hope though ... mi notice that some bright young people a come inna the farming business ... with new technology ... government needs to support them. What goes around comes around …... the farming is the foundation ... send the children to school ... dem come back to the business with dem education and expand the business ... wi need to keep it in the family. A family business a hold up the country. For us in this community, it all starts with the farming ... yes, family-based farming is a big part of the economy. But wi nah get wi props ... wi only get little attention when the big man dem can’t get food.

There were similar sentiments from the conversations among vendors in the Coronation Market in Kingston. The following captures the essence of their thoughts.

This market thing is a family affair ... mi sell in the market, but you don’t see the others who do the farming ... one plant and one sell ... keep it in the family ... a so de ting set ... a so business must run, boss ... family business big time business. But government nuh give us wi props. A wi a de foundation for the teachers, lawyers, doctors and even some a de politicians ... sometimes from the same family. Family business a de best, even though some family members bring down the business because dem nuh want sow but dem want to reap.

There is evidence of destruction from the passage of Hurricane Beryl, expanding beyond South St Elizabeth to parts of Clarendon, Manchester, Westmoreland and elsewhere in Jamaica. Farmers, government and others are busy picking up the pieces.

The hope is that government and others will not ignore the cry of the farmers of south St Elizabeth and vendors in the Coronation Market. It’s time to give FOBs in these areas their props. Not doing so will invoke the often-repeated Jamaican proverb: Cow neva know di use ah him tail til him lose it.

More anon!

Lawrence Nicholson, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the Mona School of Business & Management, University of the West Indies, author of Understanding the Caribbean Enterprise: Insights from MSMEs and Family-Owned Businesses and a director of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group. Email lawrence.n.08@gmail.com