Government Acts to Further Strengthen Agricultural Sector

Government is finalizing several regulatory functions in the agricultural sector to further strengthen the industry, and will shortly complete divestment arrangements for the Cocoa Industry Board.

“Through our restructuring initiatives, we are currently rationalizing the regulatory functions of our Commodity Boards,” stated Acting Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Derrick Kellier, while delivering the keynote address at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, held in Clarendon, on August 2.

In relation to the Coffee Industry Board, Mr. Kellier informed that Cabinet has approved negotiations with the preferred bidder and “it is expected that these negotiations will be concluded and the entity handed over by the end of this financial year.”

The Minister also said that Cabinet has given approval for the amalgamation of the Boards, to have one regulatory agency, the Agriculture Commodities Regulatory Agency (ACRA), and has approved drafting instructions for the ACRA Act, with a view to having this completed by the end of the financial year.

Meanwhile, the Minister noted that Jamaica now has an opportunity to export a range of fish products and honey to the European Union (EU), and that the Ministry will be placing great emphasis on the business of exporting, “as the potential in these opportunities will not be realized without deliberate actions.”

“We have entered into an agreement with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), to assist us with the establishment of an export platform, through which we will train exporters/producers in the rudiments of export marketing management, and deliberately bring exporters in contact with buyers,” Mr. Kellier said.

He told the audience that Jamaica has partnered with the Fresh Produce Consortium of the United Kingdom, and has been linking buyers in the consortium with local exporters, which has resulted in several containers of produce being sent to that country.