FAO prepares concept paper to assist Jamaica with build-out of agriculture sector

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has drafted a concept paper to assist Jamaica in building out projects in the agriculture sector in four priority areas.
The areas are the development of a National Fruit Tree Planting Programme, a national drip irrigation system, a crop insurance policy and a National Home-grown School Feeding Programme.
Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw said the FAO stands ready to work with Jamaica in developing these projects.
He informed that the organization has made funding available to “assist with the necessary research that must be done” in furtherance of the projects.
“They (FAO) have established systems globally, where they have models they have worked with that have succeeded,” the Minister said.
He was delivering remarks at a press conference organised by the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), at its headquarters in downtown Kingston on September 11.
The press conference was called by the JAS to update the nation on a number of key activities being undertaken by the agricultural organisation including a JAS proposal to the FAO on family farming and a tree planting programme, as part of the organisation’s framework for the observance of FAO’s Decade of Family Farming 2018-2028.
Meanwhile, Minister Shaw reiterated plans to turn around the local coffee industry by capitalising on the China export market, which has a population of 1.4 billion and is growing its coffee industry by 15 per cent annually.
In this regard, the Minister will be leading a trade delegation to China in November and will use the visit to advance Jamaica’s position in order to capitalise on the opportunity for growth of the island’s coffee industry.
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