Multi-Million Dollar Road and Crop Rehabilitation Project for St. Thomas

The parish of St. Thomas is to benefit from a multi-million dollar rural road and crop rehabilitation exercise, through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton is expected to sign an agreement on Tuesday (Feb. 10), to formalize the arrangement.
Several rural roads and nine crops that were negatively affected by storms are slated to be rehabilitated under the initiative. Crop selection is based on research data and information available on produce most suitable for the parish according to soil type and tradition.
Residents of St. Thomas, a traditional farming parish, rely heavily on the agricultural sector for their livelihood. Many residents recently benefited from support under the joint European Union and Government of Jamaica Banana Support Programme for displaced banana workers.
Farmers have also been experiencing increased demand for their sweet cassava, which is being bought by JP Tropical Products in St. Mary to produce cassava chips.