HON PEARNEL CHARLES JR, MP

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries joins the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Plant Protection Organization (IPPC) and the global plant health community in commemorating the United Nations’ first declared International Day of Plant Health 2022.

With up to 40% of global crops losses attributed to plant pests and diseases and an estimated US$220 billion in losses in trade of agricultural products annually, there is an obvious need to prioritize plant health and protection as fundamental in achieving food security and global competiveness in agriculture.

The importance of plant health to agriculture in Jamaica cannot be overstated as healthy plants high production yields and protection of our environment from overuse of pesticides. Over the years, the Ministry has moved to manage several destructive plant pests of economic significance such as the Frosty Pod Rot disease of cocoa and beet armyworm while protecting our crops from pests and diseases our borders.

The impact of climate change with higher than normal temperatures further threatens to reduce the quality of crops and production yields. The Ministry, through several projects and programmes, is building the local agricultural capacity to respond to the challenges through research, technology, and empowering our plant health and protection agencies and facilities.

I therefore take this opportunity to thank my team at the Ministry, led by the Plant Quarantine and Produce Inspection Branch in collaboration with the RADA, the Research and Development Division and Public Gardens, for raising awareness locally on the importance of plant health.

Plant health is everybody’s business and so I urge all stakeholders to “Get Involved” and join us in preventing pest and disease outbreaks by promoting sustainable pest and pesticide management.