• Category

  • Content Type

Advertisement

$12.8 Million Grant for Pig Farmers Association

May 16, 2007

The Full Story

The Jamaica Pig Farmers Association on (May 15), signed a grant agreement valued at $12.8 million with the European Union/Government of Jamaica Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
This assistance will result in the formation of a Project Management Unit (PMU) within the association, to ensure that the core mandate of the organization is achieved. In addition, funding will go towards the hosting of workshops and seminars that will benefit both members and clients of the association.
President of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association, Annabelle Williams pointed out that the funding would assist in enhancing the administration of the association.
“The capacity building fund will allow us to employ a PMU to work full time to try and co-ordinate the industry. This will include putting in an interactive website, getting to our farmers, increasing our membership, taking questions and answers on a daily basis, putting together documentation and keeping farmers up to date on what’s happening,” she explained.
The association’s grant approval is unique, as it is one of only a few private sector organizations that will make use of both the business development and capacity building support facilities offered under the PSDP.
Meanwhile, Project Management Officer with the PSDP, Kenneth Reid explained that both facilities would complement each other.
“The capacity building project looks at setting up a PMU, which will essentially be the driver for the consortia contract which looks at doing these multiple workshops for their members,” he pointed out.
“One of the things you expect when you provide support to private sector organizations, is that they will be creating new services. The creation of new services will stimulate new membership and membership goes a long way in justifying the legitimacy of the organization as well as attract supplemental funding sources,” he noted.
Additionally, he said that based on the services that the programme would provide, pig farmers would be able to create sustainable income through the various service options being offered.
The PSDP is a five-year joint initiative between the European Union and the Government to enhance the performance and competitiveness of micro, small and medium sized enterprises, through the provision of technical and financial assistance.

Last Updated: May 16, 2007

Skip to content