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Home | Agriculture Ministry receives $1.5 million seed donation from IICA
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw (2nd right) accepts sample of seeds from Shauna Brandon (2nd left), Rural Development Specialist, Inter-American Co-operation for Agriculture (IICA); at a meeting held at the Ministry’s Hope Gardens’ offices in St. Andrew on December 1, 2021. Others from left are Ainsworth Riley, Agri-Business Specialist, IICA; and Permanent Secretary Dermon Spence. The $1.5- million donation is in support of the country’s national recovery programme following the passage of tropical storms Grace and Ida in August that destroyed 4, 595 hectares of crops valued at some $1.6 billion and impacted 17, 823 farmers.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw, has expressed appreciation to the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) for its invaluable support to Jamaica’s farmers with the contribution of seeds valued at $1.5 million.
The donation was in support of the country’s national recovery programme following the passage of tropical storms Grace and Ida in August that destroyed 4, 595 hectares of crops valued at some $1.6 billion and impacted 17, 823 farmers.
“The agriculture sector is one that has to recover quickly when met with these and other crises as it accounts for 7.1% of gross domestic product, and contributes approximately 15.2% of the country’s employment, “ said Shaw.
To facilitate farmers getting back into production in the shortest possible time, the Ministry also allocated $70 million for the distribution of seeds and other planting materials, pesticides and other inputs through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority.
The formal handover of tomato, sweet potato, watermelon, cantaloupe, lettuce, carrot and cabbage seeds took place at a meeting with representatives from IICA at the Ministry’s Hope Gardens’ offices on December 15.
The most significant crop losses were vegetables, plantain, banana and yam followed by condiments, fruits and Irish potato with an estimated value of $1.5 billion.
While expressing appreciation to IICA for its interest in Jamaica’s agricultural sector, Shaw encouraged farmers to protect themselves from disasters by signing up for coverage with the GK Insurance Parametric Rain, Drought and Wind Insurance Policy, GK Weather Protect.
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