Agriculture Ministry Looking To Strengthen Linkages

Minister of State for Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, says that the Ministry is looking to strengthen linkages with key sectors in order to boost productivity and earnings.

He said a recent study revealed that the demand for agricultural produce in the tourism sector alone is valued at $40 billion.

“In recognising that there is a huge opportunity for all our stakeholders, what we are doing now at the Ministry is to ensure that there are the right linkages. This is not just talk, as we have embarked on a strategy that will connect all the dots and to where our farmers will take the next step in looking at an entrepreneurial approach to business,” he said.

Mr. Green was speaking at the 65th staging of the Hague Agricultural and Industrial Show in Falmouth, Trelawny on February 26.

He noted that one important link is that of agriculture and national security through the engagement of unattached young people, thereby steering them away from crime.

“I want to say to all our young people that the agricultural sector is such that you don’t have to be tempted towards a life of crime. You now have agriculture, which is lucrative and provides opportunities that can make your lives very successful,” he said.

The Agriculture State Minister in the meantime, hailed Trelawny as a key player in agriculture, noting that the parish is one of the country’s top producers of yam.

“The parish is now the third largest supplier in terms of domestic agricultural production. It also has 9,956 registered farmers, who worked tirelessly last year to ensure a 12 per cent increase in yam production,” he noted.