Mocho Pear Festival seeks to turn crop into economic engine

Efforts to expand Jamaica’s avocado (pear) industry gathered momentum last week as stakeholders in Clarendon launched a festival intended to spur rural development and exports.

The Mocho Pear Festival, scheduled for August 8, aims to convert the parish’s reputation as a leading producer of Simmonds and other pear varieties into a broader economic engine. It is spearheaded by Mocho Homecoming Limited (MHL), whose festivities will run from August 2 to 9, beginning with a church service at Brixton Hill United Church. Other events include night football matches at Mount Airy and Mocho community centres, a health fair at Ashley Primary School, and the flagship festival at Lennon High School.

Canute Sadler, owner of Stanmark Processors Limited, an ackee-processing firm with four factories across the island and a major sponsor, urged farmers to capitalise on what he described as “green gold”.

“People of Mocho, how much money are you making from pear?  We have one of the best varieties sitting here but we have not developed this commodity,” Sadler told farmers at the launch on June 11 at the Verandah, Juici Empowerment Park in Clarendon.

Pointing to Mexico’s dominance of global avocado production — and growing competition from countries such as Kenya — he argued that Jamaicans, both at home and in the diaspora, should enter the market. In what he described as a “simple calculation”, he outlined potential returns.

“They get 1,500 avocados from one tree in Mexico, multiply that, let’s say by US$1 or US$1.26. If you plant two acres, with 40 trees to the acre, and multiply by at least 500 avocados per tree, you can retire as a millionaire,” Sadler urged.

He cited Costa Rica’s shift from sugar to pineapple cultivation as evidence of the gains from diversification. “We came out of sugar cane, and what happened to our lands?” he questioned.

POTENTIAL

One senior agronomist appears to share the optimism, albeit with more measured expectations. 

Lockley Waite, a senior agronomist in the Ministry of Agriculture, said avocado features prominently in plans to plant 3,000 acres of fruit trees by 2035. Alongside ackee, mango and breadfruit, the crop has been prioritised based on market demand.

Waite said the ministry has 20,000 grafted Simmonds avocado plants “ready for distribution to citizens who have [legitimate] access to lands to plant them”.

He recommended planting at 30-foot intervals, implying roughly 48 trees per acre. The introduction of new cultivars — Semil 34, Hass and Carla — could extend Jamaica’s harvest beyond its current July-to-November window to a near year-round cycle. Given that trees only reach maturity after about 10 years, farmers leasing land, he noted, would be prudent to secure terms of at least 30 years.

Pearnel Charles Jr, minister of labour and social security and a former agriculture minister, argued that the festival should generate tangible opportunities for residents.

“I really want to pray over everything that is taking place here, that it becomes a true success where you will see young men and women become entrepreneurs …,” he said. “Labour and agriculture have an interconnection and it is an opportunity – that’s what comes from these kinds of initiatives, it creates a chance for people to be creative.”

Beyond primary production, he pointed to scope for processed goods. “I’m looking forward to pear juice, sauce, chutney, patty … a range of diversification from pear,” he said, adding that he hopes Jamaican produce will compete in American markets with Mexican supplies.

Community leaders, too, see the initiative as a means of strengthening rural livelihoods. Edith Chin, custos of Clarendon and the festival’s patron, said it could benefit the 52 communities in the Mocho division.

“I accepted the role of patron because I believe strongly in celebrating our communities, recognising the contribution of our farmers, preserving our heritage, and creating opportunities that can support local development for years to come,” Chin said. “This festival aims to bring together many of the things that help communities thrive. It celebrates agriculture, culture, entrepreneurship, community pride, and the unique qualities that make a place worth visiting, investing in, and calling home.”

Addressing the launch through Dr Aujae Dixon, Opposition Leader Mark Golding said the festival “will continue to highlight the tremendous potential of this crop to create economic opportunities and strengthen our agricultural sector”.

The Social Development Commission (SDC), a partner in the initiative, plans to host training workshops for farmers. “The SDC endorses this project. We are 100 per cent on board. We are ready to energise and get the communities ready … we are [also] in dialogue with the [Jamaica] 4-H to have value-added training sessions,” said Baldvin McKenzie, SDC parish manager for Clarendon.

Joel Williams, mayor of May Pen, framed the initiative as part of a longer-term revival. “I’m sure this project will be bearing fruit in the next three years not only for the parish of Clarendon and the community of Mocho, but by extension, for foreign exchange and the further development of our country,” he said.