Monique Oates | Replanting hope: Feeding Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa did more than upend lives, destroy the housing stock and sever the road network, she uprooted Jamaica’s food security. The once-fertile parishes of St Elizabeth and Manchester, long hailed as Jamaica’s ‘breadbasket’, now lie waterlogged and bare, unable to produce and feed the nation anytime soon.

Hundreds of livestock and crop farmers lost everything, and, for the first time in decades, the inevitable question echoes across the length and breadth of the island: “Who will feed Jamaica now?”

A NEW GEOGRAPHY OF GROWTH

The parishes that once carried the weight of feeding our great nation are now decimated with no timeline for rejuvenation. Amid the wreckage and deluge in the southwestern belt, an opportunity from the east stares us in the face. The parishes of Portland, St Mary, St Thomas, and the slopes of rural St Andrew stand ready to answer the call of production. Will eastern parishes rise to become the new engines of agriculture renewal and production in Jamaica? These parishes have an untapped potential for large-scale domestic crops and livestock production. Unlocking this potential will require bold action, strategic thinking, and a differentiated investment approach to agriculture.

BUILDING FOUNDATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL RENEWAL

Infrastructure must be at the forefront of the new agricultural model. Rebuilding farm roads, bridges, and drainage systems must be the immediate focus. Will the Ministry of Agriculture consider an ‘Eastern Agriculture Development Plan’ to map arable land in every community and identify critical repairs or upgrades to the infrastructure where needed? Reliable farm-to-market roads, adequate post-harvest facilities, and dependable irrigation and drainage systems ensure more production, less spoilage, faster delivery, and stronger rural communities.

Technology is no longer a luxury, but insurance against future disasters. Integrating technology through climate-smart agriculture practices will help farmers withstand hurricanes and droughts while increasing yield.

Small farmers, long shut out of credit and vulnerable to economic shocks, need a clear path to low-interest agriculture recovery loans. Small farmers in the east can be empowered with the support of financial institutions such as the Development Bank of Jamaica and EXIM Bank, through the development of targeted financial solutions.

PARTNERSHIPS AND POLICY SUPPORT

The College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) must be repositioned as a hub for community capacity-building, research, and innovation. Its new tissue culture facility should immediately supply planting materials to help farmers recover after disasters. By leading in renewable energy, resilient planting material distribution, and trials of climate resistant crops, CASE can anchor the transformation of eastern Jamaica into the nation’s new breadbasket. This repositioning would make the college a living laboratory and a benchmark for rural agricultural development in the Caribbean.

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) can begin to redeploy resources to the east to support CASE by strengthening extension services and providing expertise in areas of crop and livestock production. The agriculture sector would benefit from an efficient and well-resourced rapid response team to assess farm damage and guide recovery planting, ensuring farmers replant efficiently with the right crops. This would guarantee higher productivity and faster post-hurricane recovery.

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) has an islandwide membership base and a long history of stellar representation for farmers’ interests. The JAS must coordinate with RADA and CASE to continue to be a voice of advocacy and empowerment for small farmers. The JAS can serve as a coordinating body for relief distribution, ensuring transparency and equity in how agriculture is implemented and grants are delivered to small farmers. Together, the three organisations will create a unified, empowered network of farmers, ready to rebuild production capacity quickly and collaboratively.

SECURING THE FUTURE

This moment calls for national unity and renewed vision. Herein lies an opportunity to rebuild smarter. Securing the future means that we cannot rely on the government alone. Government, private sector, and local communities must coalesce around a coherent agriculture strategy so that Jamaica can begin to redefine what it means to be truly food secure. These local strengths can be amplified through public-private partnerships. Imagine small-scale entrepreneurs owning post-harvest facilities powered by solar energy. Picture roadside collection hubs equipped with digital payment systems and GPS tracking. This is the reality in many First World countries. Jamaica can emulate.

With the right coordination, what we now classify as recovery could become foundation for rural agriculture revolution that puts Jamaica at the forefront of agricultural production in the Caribbean. We must move toward a national agricultural ecosystem that integrates technology, policy, education, and community engagement.

CALL TO ACTION

Jamaica stands at a crossroads in our agriculture. The rebuilding of Jamaica’s food system is not only an agricultural issue; it is a national security imperative. Food imports now exceed US$1b annually, making us vulnerable to global price shocks. In navigating post-Melissa recovery, Portland, St Thomas, St Mary, and rural St Andrew can rise to the moment. With proper support and investment, these parishes can ensure that Jamaica is fed while St Elizabeth and the surrounding parishes rebuild. This crisis offers an opportunity to create a more diversified, resilient agricultural sector, less dependent on any single region in the country. Jamaica’s food security depends on it; our very sovereignty depends on our ability to feed ourselves. Farmers should be treated as heroes, ensuring equal investment in agriculture with the same vigour, branding, and innovation as any other sector in the country. The blueprint is before us, do we have the collective will?

Monique Oates has lectured at the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education and is currently a doctoral student at Prairie View A&M University. Send feedback to: moates1@pvamu.edu and editorial@gleanerjm.com