Agriculture Ministry Engages Stakeholders On 10-Year National Development Plan

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is garnering crucial stakeholder feedback as it finalises the 10-year National Agricultural Development Plan (NADP) to revitalise, strengthen and build resilience in the agriculture sector.

Branded ‘Growing Forward: A Blueprint for a Better Jamaica’, the Plan, which is being developed through assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), targets four thematic areas – resilience and sustainability; efficient production systems; competitive, innovative agribusiness; and value chains.

The draft was unveiled by portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, during his recent Sectoral presentation in the House of Representatives.

The aim is to have the document tabled in Parliament by the end of September 2026.

Speaking at a validation workshop on May 21 at the ROK Hotel in Kingston, Minister Green said that the 10-year Plan was drafted through “multiple layers of research work, across multiple administrations”.

He said it will be a “game changer” for the country’s agricultural sector, providing a roadmap that will help to transform the agri-food industry into a “resilient, competitive, inclusive, and sustainable system”.

He noted that it will cover “the full spectrum from primary production to post-harvest systems, trade, export development, research, innovation, human capital, entrepreneurship. All the areas needed to develop a robust agricultural system”.

“It also explores efficient agricultural train and marketing systems, food security and nutrition,” the Minister added.

He told the stakeholders, comprising representatives from farming communities, the public and private sectors, academia and development partners, that the Plan is necessary for Jamaica “to move beyond just medium-term strategic initiatives to a more comprehensive long-term strategic blueprint that can move the country forward”.

Noting the country’s vulnerability to global economic shocks, wars, shifting trade patterns, technology disruptions, and extreme weather events, he said that the NADP will better enable the island to readily respond to these challenges.

Minister Green said that the Plan is relevant to the nation’s overall rural development “as agriculture is at the heart of most of our rural communities, driving income generation and poverty reduction”.

The Minister told the stakeholders involved in the validation exercise that they are expected to “dissect the plan and to give us further feedback so that we can now pull all of it together. We are running on a very tight time frame. So, we look forward to all your feedback”.

“We have brought you here today because we know putting a plan to paper is one thing, but the implementation of that Plan will depend on not just all of us sitting in this room but the over 270,000 registered farmers, agribusinesses, our researchers and our educational institutions, everybody who touches and concerns agriculture across the country,” he added.

The Minster commended the FAO for its input and guidance in the undertaking, noting that what would have otherwise taken years was done in about a year and a half.

Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and The Caribbean FAO, René Orellana Halkyer, in his remarks, said that the NADP is a strategic roadmap for Jamaica’s future at a time when countries worldwide must rethink how food is produced, distributed, and protected in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

He said that for Jamaica to achieve long-term food security, the country must be forward planning, underlining that strengthening current agri-food systems requires “anticipating future challenges, building resilience, and aligning national policies to ensure sustainable food availability, access and utilisation”.

“The Plan rightly positions agriculture as a pillar of national resilience, economic stability, food security and nutrition, environmental sustainability, and social transformation,” Mr. Halkyer noted.

“The collaboration between government, the private sector, academia, development partners, and farming communities will be essential to translating this vision into tangible results,” he added.

Stakeholders and members of the public are being invited to view The National Development Plan on the Ministry’s website at www.moa.gov.jm and to send their feedback and comments via email at nadp@moa.gov.jm.