I am delighted to join you on this special day for agriculture as we gather to reflect on the relationship between the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and Jamaica and to celebrate the hard work and innovation of our young people.
Throughout the years, we have seen tangible evidence of the achievements acquired through the partnership, which have led to significant advancements in the agricultural and agribusiness sectors. With this in mind, I use this opportunity to commend Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, IICA representative for Jamaica, and the rest of the IICA team for your invaluable role in the continued partnership between the IICA and Jamaica.
Just recently, we celebrated World Soil Day, an awareness campaign aimed at promoting sustainable soil management practices. To assist Jamaica with this mandate, the IICA is working closely with the Jamaica
Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Agency (JACRA) through an International Trade Centre (ITC)-funded project to analyse soil samples from cocoa and coffee-growing regions. The intention is to emphasise the need to include compost solutions in soil remediation actions, which will be implemented via the soil health component of JACRA’s Crop Restoration and Establishment Programme (CREP).
As a valued partner to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, I wish to commend IICA for its role in strengthening local agricultural health and food safety capacities through:
1. Facilitating participation of local officials in meetings of international standard setting bodies like the World Organisation for Animal Health.
2. Sensitising and capacity building on African Swine Fever and
3. Providing training in Good Lab Practices and Nematode management
Similarly, I note that the agency is providing support to several other agricultural stakeholders, such as the National Agricultural Health and Food Safety Coordinating Committee (NAHFSCC), the National Codex
Committee, the Jamaica Greenhouse Growers Association, the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association, and the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers, to name a few, which aligns with your mission of generating
improved competitiveness and sustainable development of agriculture in Jamaica.
Ladies and gentlemen, a significant component of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ mandate is the increased involvement of our youths in agriculture.
We aspire to create a Jamaica where more and more youths see agriculture as a secure and lucrative way of life. The ministry and its partners have implemented several initiatives to facilitate this.
Examples of these initiatives include the Youth in Agriculture Programme and Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme.
In creating an inclusive agribusiness sector for youth and other vulnerable groups, we have provided access to some 105 hectares of land. Further, the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, in collaboration with the Agro-
Investment Corporation, has provided leases for 39 youths to operate at the Ebony Park Agro-Park. This provides youths with one of the essential resources required to carry out agriculture; land. Through the
Jamaica 4-H Clubs, the ministry has also established over 200 agribusinesses through the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme, which focuses on developing our rural youths working in
agriculture. This initiative has provided youths with resources ranging from start-up capital to business coaching.
Outside the ministry, other entities have recognised the need to get youths involved in agriculture. I recently delivered the keynote address at the handover ceremony of an agro-processing plant donated by the
JWN Foundation to the Sydney Pagon STEM Academy in St. Elizabeth.
This agro-processing plant will allow students from the academy and others to develop value-added products. Access to resources such as this empower our youths to contribute positively to the sector and the
country.
In tandem with that, we must take time to recognise the brilliant, talented and creative young minds we have operating in the sector. In doing so, we are demonstrating to our youths that we acknowledge the
work that they are doing and we deem it as something valuable and worthy of commendation. This will encourage youths working in the field to continue to do so and inspire those not doing so to get started.
Therefore, it is imperative that I commend IICA for being instrumental in celebrating our youths in agriculture. Since 1999, you have played an integral role in supporting the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries with
identifying youths in agri-business who are innovative, possess an entrepreneurial mindset and enforce agricultural best practices.
Congratulations also to this year’s Youth in Agribusiness awardees. We look forward to your continued growth within the sector.
In closing, the Ministry of Agriculture of Fisheries anticipates even greater collaboration with the IICA in building a sustainable and highly competitive agricultural sector that will provide significant opportunities for people, especially our youths.
Thank you and I wish for you all the best during this festive season.
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