Agri ministry to lease 200 acres of land for new farm venture

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence (left), discusses onion harvesting with (from left) Hurshel Cyrus, CEO, Dencon Foods JA Ltd; Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Winston Simpson, Principal Director, Field Services, Rural Agricultural Development Authority, during a tour of onion fields at Dencon Foods JA Ltd Farm in Spring Plain, Clarendon, on March 21, 2019. Some 92 acres of onion are currently under cultivation by Dencon Foods JA Ltd Farm as well as construction of a post-harvesting and storage facility. Dencon Foods JA Ltd Farm is a subsidiary of World Net, a micro lending agency.

In keeping with Government’s drive to promote diversification and increased production in the agricultural sector, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Audley Shaw, has committed an additional 200 acres of land for lease to Dencon Foods JA Ltd Farm, through the SCJ Holdings Ltd.
Speaking at a function held at Dencon Foods in Spring Plain, Clarendon, on March 21, Minister Shaw had high praises for the newly established company for its venture into agricultural production, with 92 acres of land currently under onion cultivation and plans to expand production into other crops such as potatoes, peas and corn.
In welcoming the proposed expansion of the farm, Minister Shaw reiterated his plan to formalise the national school-feeding programme using local produce, stating that this will ensure improved health for children and a stable income for farmers.
“We will be doing two things – creating wealth in the brain through nutrition, and creating wealth in the farms, by growing more to feed our children,” said Minister Shaw.

A subsidiary of World Net, a micro lending company, Dencon Foods JA Ltd also has a warehouse and post-harvesting facility under construction, which, according to Hurshel Cyrus, Chief Operating Officer, has the capacity to dry and cure one million pounds of onions every three to four days.
The facility, Cyrus said, will also give them the ability to store vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes and cabbage for relatively long periods of time.
In addition to building more post-harvest facilities to support local farmers, the CEO said the company would be engaging and assisting farmers with the know-how to improve their technical competence in growing certain crops.
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