Green pushes expansion of rural farming project across Jamaica

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green has signalled the Government’s intention to expand a successful rural farming initiative to more communities, following what he described as “measurable outcomes” in St Catherine.

The Improving Rural Livelihoods Through Resilient Agri-Food Systems project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Government of Jamaica and funded by the Indian Government with US$1 million, has delivered infrastructure, training, and enterprise support to small farmers in Kitson Town.

Speaking yesterday at the handover of one of four large greenhouses to St Catherine High School, Green said the initiative aligns with the administration’s broader resilience agenda.

“The only thing that will be better than this project is to do more, and seeing that it has worked we should take it and replicate it across a number of our rural communities,” Green said.

“If the participants are saying that it has done so well let us move it into additional communities, and even if you can't do as much as the millions, the government is here to meet you half way,” he told FAO representatives.

The programme has focused on strengthening livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience among smallholder farmers.

It has delivered entrepreneurial training, including financial literacy and business planning, while introducing climate-smart technologies and boosting production capacity.

A total of 201 individuals have benefited, with more than 60 per cent women and 37 per cent youth under 35.

Participants also received agricultural inputs, livestock, greenhouse infrastructure, and post-harvest equipment.

Green emphasised that building a more resilient agricultural ecosystem remains a priority, particularly in the face of hurricanes and other weather-related shocks.

He noted that expanding access to small farming tools and equipment is central to the ministry’s strategy, revealing plans to collaborate further with India to improve availability.

Additionally, the ministry is set to distribute vertical fans to enhance small drip irrigation systems and expand hydroponic production, alongside increasing greenhouse development across the island.

Green said these efforts form part of a deliberate push to ensure Jamaica’s agriculture sector can recover “quicker and stronger” from future disruptions.

- Ruddy Mathison

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