Agriculture Ministry Partners with IICA to Launch State-Of-The-Art Innovation Hub

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, highlighted the expansion of the more than 50-year partnership between Jamaica and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), citing the planned establishment of a centre for agricultural innovation.

He noted that the centre is the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean, though it will be modelled after the digital agricultural centres that IICA has established at their headquarters in Costa Rica.

“That centre for agricultural innovation would be a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a hub for showcasing the latest agricultural technologies, including robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, while demonstrating our practical applications to improve productivity, improve efficiency, and to improve sustainability,” Minister Green stated.

He noted that the centre would offer students the opportunity to utilise virtual reality for tours where they can learn about agricultural best practices from across the world.

“This is something that is already happening in places like Costa Rica that we want to get here, and we want to do it for the entire region. We have to infuse the technology to ensure that we are gathering the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs,” the Minister added.

He was speaking at the IICA Accountability Seminar held at Alhambra Inn in Kingston on July 1.

The seminar highlighted the work IICA has carried out in Jamaica, including several breakthroughs achieved through joint local initiatives.

Among the advancements is the identification of the biological control agents against the sweet potato weevil, moving away from the traditional chemical methods.

This was completed under the joint Next-Generation Sweet Potato Production Project, which is also supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Additionally, through the Adopt Caribbean Soil Health for Climate Resilient Agriculture project, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) extension officers are being trained in sustainable soil management and equipped with rapid soil health testing kits to guide data-driven interventions in the field.

IICA’s targeted capacity-building with the Veterinary Services Division (VSD) has also significantly upgraded Jamaica’s sanitary, phytosanitary, and disease surveillance systems to protect the island from devastating agricultural diseases.

The ceremony also included the handover of hurricane supplies, for which Minister Green expressed gratitude.

“One of the things that I like about IICA is that… despite having a set programme, they are flexible enough to respond to new realities. We saw that with Hurricane Melissa, where IICA stepped up and is providing US$30,000 in support towards our recovery efforts,” Minister Green said.

A part of the support was handed over in the form of fertilisers and agrochemicals that will assist farmers as recovery efforts continue.

For his part, IICA Representative in Jamaica, Kent Coipel, committed the organisation’s support as it continues to partner with Jamaica to build a more productive and competitive agricultural sector.

“As we move forward, IICA remains firmly committed to supporting Jamaica’s vision of a modern agricultural sector that embraces innovation, promotes sustainability, enhances food security, and improves the quality of life for all who depend on agriculture,” he said.