Major agro-economic zone coming for south St James
SOUTH ST James has been earmarked for the development of a major agro-economic zone aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and driving economic growth.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green made the announcement during the ‘New FACE of Food’ stakeholder engagement session at the Holy Trinity Church in Montego Bay on January 17.
Green said that the comprehensive development, mandated by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, is to be tailored to the specific needs of farmers in the region that are known for their abundant agricultural output.
“We intend to look at the needs of the farmers, whether those needs be water, and we will come in and put in some water-harvesting facilities and repurpose some storage facilities, so that you have adequate access,” he noted.
“If those needs are roads ... we can look at it at a more comprehensive level to do farm roads in the area. Whether the farmers require irrigation systems, we come in with some storage tanks and drip irrigation, and we earmark areas for specific production,” he pointed out.
The minister said south St James boasts fertile lands, with skilled farmers cultivating a variety of crops, including banana, plantain and dasheen; and the strategic approach of the Government will propel the region into an agricultural powerhouse.
He noted that south St James has been earmarked as one of the areas that will drive coconut production over the next five years, and an initiative to boost cultivation of the crop is being undertaken through the Coconut Industry Board.
“We’ve already started to distribute some seedlings and looking to expand that programme. I want you to bring the message that we’re going to be working very closely with the farmers in south St James to drive more growth,” he told the stakeholders.
Highlighting the economic potential of coconut, Green pointed out that Jamaica is currently the largest supplier of coconut water to Canada, a significant portion of which is sourced from other countries and then re-exported to Canada to satisfy the demand.
“So, when I tell you that there are areas that we can make tremendous money from in agriculture, there are, and this is the year of growth for the agriculture sector. We expect to see tremendous growth in 2024, and all of us have to participate,” Green underscored.
The day’s event saw farmers from St James being sensitised on the four fundamental pillars of the New FACE of Food initiative, comprising food security, agribusiness development, climate-smart technologies, and export expansion.
Green also visited several communities in south St James, where he met with farmers to update them about the Government’s plans for the region.