Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.
KINGSTON, April 17 (JIS):
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. has disclosed that farmers have earned over $330 million in revenue, for 2022, via the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform.
He further disclosed that since January 2023, farmers have so far earned over $100 million.
Mr. Charles Jr. was speaking at the Agro-Investment Corporation’s Market Linkage Networking Seminar held on April 13, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.
ALEX, which is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), is the first online platform of its kind in the country.
It brings hoteliers into direct contact with the farmers and, in turn, reduces leakages and helps Jamaica retain more of the economic benefits of tourism.
The Minister also urged farmers to be strategic and utilize the ALEX platform, to market their produce and increase their customer base with competitive prices.
“See agriculture as a business, not as a side hustle,” Mr. Charles Jr. said, adding that the overall aim is to achieve higher productivity in the sector.
Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Ministry, Hon. Franklin Witter said that strengthening the linkages between stakeholders is vital to “ensure that the market can respond to [the] increase in production of produce”.
He noted that the Ministry has embarked on several projects across the island, to improve the conditions of farmers.
“Therefore, we are anticipating even greater output in terms of our domestic food supply [so] these engagements will go a far way in making sure that as the farmers respond to the increased investment that the Ministry is making, the market will also be in a position to respond to the supply,” he said.
