Agriculture Ministry on drive to boost domestic food production ahead of Christmas season

The Ministry of Agriculture is intensifying efforts to boost domestic food production ahead of the Christmas season, targeting farmers with access to reliable water supply and underutilised land.

This is aimed at increasing the availability of vegetables, fruits and other high-demand agricultural commodities during the festive season.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, provided details in a statement to the House of Representatives on November 3 on the impact of the prolonged dry conditions on the agricultural sector, the interventions undertaken by the Government to support farmers and fishers, and production outlook as the Christmas season approaches.

“Recognising the limited window between the return of rainfall and Christmas, I convened our production and productivity team and directed that we intensify support to those areas and farmers capable of rapidly expanding production,” he said.

He said the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Agro-invest, the Ministry’s production branch and other agencies have, therefore, been working with farmers, particularly those with access to reliable water supply and underutilised land to increase acreage.

“The approach is simple. Where a farmer has access to water and has the capacity to move from five acres to 10 acres, for example, we are looking at how we can assist with land preparation, seeds, seedlings, fertiliser, and other critical inputs to facilitate that expansion. We’re especially targeting crops with shorter production cycles where increased planting can translate into additional supplies before and during the Christmas period,” he said.

He said the Christmas production drive is not merely about ensuring food availability, but also about creating greater opportunities for Jamaican farmers.

“This matters because Christmas readiness is not simply a question of whether there is food somewhere in the system. We want Jamaican farmers supplying as much of that demand as possible. Every additional acre that comes into production creates an opportunity for a farmer to earn,” he said.

Furthermore, he said work continues on expanding the sector’s irrigation infrastructure.

“At Parnassus in Clarendon, the irrigation system that was commissioned earlier this year, now provides water to 700 acres of agricultural land. At Ebony Park, the recently commissioned irrigation project has brought an additional 100 acres under irrigation supply. Last week, at Amity Hall/Bridge Pen, 1,100 acres of land gained access to a pressurised irrigation supply system at a cost of $3 billion to do that project, with 72 new entrepreneurs holding leases to put 800 acres into production,” the Minister said.

He added that Jamaica’s agricultural sector will be in a better position next year to face any drought that befalls the country.

“Additionally, at Amity Hall/Bridge Pen in St Catharine, approximately 200 acres have been targeted where the Government is providing free land preparation so that those farmers can go into production now,” he said.

He added that at Essex Valley, 40 farmers have already received their meters and water has begun to flow in the Essex Valley system that will bring irrigation to more than 2,000 acres of land,” he said.

- JIS News

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