You are here
Home | Green underscores need for increased use of technology in farming
From left, World Bank Country Director Lilia Burunciuc, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green; and Omar Sweeney, Managing Director, Jamaica Social Investment Fund; tour the Content Farmers Group Greenhouse Cluster In Manchester on July 23, 2021. The World Bank-funded $26-million facility, which consists of 20 greenhouses, a packing facility and a water harvesting pond, was implemented under REDI 11 by JSIF in partnership with the Jamaica Bauxite Institute.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, is calling for more use of technology to accelerate the pace of production in order to meet the local and international demand for Jamaican produce.
“We have to employ more climate-smart technology. We have to move from open-field agriculture to protected agriculture so that we can maximize the land space we have, so that we can reclaim the lands that are not being used” said Green.
He was speaking on July 22, 2021 during a tour of the REDI II World-Bank funded Cluster of Greenhouses and Water Harvesting Project at Content in Manchester implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund(JSIF) in collaboration with the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI).
Under the $26-million project, the Content Farmers Group received 20 greenhouses, a packing shed and a water harvesting pond. An additional pond was constructed by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).
Noting that farmers were only providing 30% of the $40 billion worth of food consumed by tourists, Green stressed that farming cannot be seasonal anymore because our markets are not seasonal and we, therefore, need to produce every month to meet the demand for local produce.
Additionally, an external demand study has shown that there is an $80-billion demand for Jamaican produce and value-added products by persons within the diaspora markets of the United States, United Kingdom and the Caribbean.
Green said the Ministry is working with farmers to ensure that there is an accelerated pace of production and increased productivity through use of technology and to drive growth in the sector.
The Agriculture Minister called for use of more localized solutions for water such as catchment tanks and ponds to catch water in the time of rains for use during dry periods.
Green thanked the World Bank for being a tremendous partner, pointing out that their assistance has helped to accelerate the pace of growth in the agricultural sector with the sector having the highest level of production in the first quarter of last year despite COVID-19 and the second highest level of production in the first quarter of 2021.
He noted that the projects are reaping rewards and that it will take partnerships to move the sector and the farmers forward.
Green commended the Content Farmers Group for investing their time, energy and money to show that they are serious about making the project a success, stating that the project has shown what can be achieved when you provide the farmers with the opportunity and with the technology.
He also praised the group for its incorporation of students from six schools into the project, providing them with practical experience to develop their love for agriculture.
-30-
