KINGSTON, Jamaica — In response to a significant surplus of key agricultural products, Jamaica’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to stabilize markets and support local farmers. Portfolio Minister Floyd Green announced the initiative during a press briefing at the ministry’s Hope Gardens headquarters, highlighting exceptional yields of sweet potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, Pak Choy, yellow squash, cauliflower, zucchini, and string beans that have created market imbalances.
The ministry’s approach centers on three primary interventions: expanded market access, value-added processing, and enhanced storage infrastructure. Weekly farmers’ markets are being established across the island with organizational support from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS). The inaugural market took place on January 23, with transportation assistance provided to ensure farmer participation.
Concurrently, the ministry is engaging agro-processors to transform excess produce into juices, concentrates, and other value-added products. A buy-back program reminiscent of COVID-19 pandemic measures is in final development stages, where the government will purchase directly from farmers for redistribution.
Critical infrastructure developments include three cold-storage facilities scheduled for operational rollout. The Flagaman facility in St Elizabeth, featuring two renewable-powered 20-foot containers, becomes operational within three weeks. The Essex Valley facility launches in early February with capacity for 22 containers of fresh produce, while the Kirkvine facility in Manchester will be completed in the next financial quarter.