Value, Valuation and Use of Land in the West Indies

Abstract

The present use is often the criterion by which the monetary value of land is assessed. But present use is not the only index of the value of land and it is not always the best. In the West Indies as elsewhere, anomalies between land potential and existing use arise for a variety of reasons: for example, bad management and prac? tice resulting in soil erosion, wilful under-development by some land owners, and also under-development through lack of capital or labour, or lack of marketing facilities for produce. Academic assessments of basic land values mostly concentrate on maximum potentiality or capability and, either in spite of, or more likely because of it being an under? developed area, the West Indies are being slowly but surely covered by thorough soil and land classification surveys. In the British West Indies the work is coordinated and carried out by the Regional Research Centre at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, several of whose monographs have already been published. In Jamaica, not only are thorough soil surveys well advanced and good quality soil maps being produced, but, since 1954, following the work of J. G. Steele (1954), the results ofthe soil survey have been used to classify categories of land according to their capability for use, based on soil group, slope class and climate. Seven major classes are dis? tinguished, three of them suitable, one marginal and three unsuitable for cultivation by tillage. Subdivisions are made on a basis of slope, danger of erosion, poor drainage, shallowness of soil or rainfall deficiency. Applying these to twenty-four soil groups, some sixty land capability units have been distinguished (Steele et al., 1954). In greater detail, for each of some 300 soil/slope types, a Technical Guide Sheet has been pre? pared by the Agricultural Chemistry Division, describing the soil, slopes and suitability of land for cultivation, together with recommendations for cultivation, crops and fertilizers. These are enumerated simply to show that the basic agricultural value of the land should, therefore, be well understood in qualitative terms. But seen from a completely different viewpoint, it may be conceded that in the simplest financial terms the value of land is no more nor less than the price commanded and recently paid for it. These are two extremes of approach?one, academic and physical (with whatever practical applications), and the other matter of fact and financial. Obviously the two are not entirely disconnected, for if they were, systematic land valuation would have no justification. Yet rarely are the two considered together by geographers. Land use surveys frequently take note in general terms of enhanced costs of land and higher values existing, for example, near and within large towns, or within easy access to means of transport and communications. But the difficulties of obtaining price data on a uniform and complete basis for whole areas, either urban or rural, in most cases preclude comprehensive studies. Interest therefore attaches to the land valuation system now being worked out in Jamaica, for it combines the two approaches and considers both aspects for the practical purpose of land taxation for property tax and rates. On the one hand and at the outset, analysis is made of all fairly recent sales of land and property in any area that is being assessed. From the sales price is first deducted the value of all improve? ments, and these normally include all buildings, and out-buildings, water supply, irrigation and drainage works, contour banks, growing trees and crops, property roads, etc, and in some cases allowance is made for the cost of cleared or partially cleared land. The remaining sum is allocated proportionally between each class of land found on the property. (Obviously the sales of properties of a single soil type are very important as yardsticks for the value of that particular type of land.) Classifica? tion is by land capability; the soil and slope category of each class is listed separately,