AIC To Help Mango Agro Park Investors Access Quality Seedlings

The Agro Investment Corporation (AIC) will assist farmers operating in the new mango agro park in Spring Plain, Clarendon to access quality seedlings for planting.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), AIC, Dr. Al Powell, said that the move is part of the phased opening of the new agro park.

He was speaking at an investment breakfast at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on December 14, where five investors were presented with leases to cultivate 250 acres of land in the park.

“One of the reasons why we have decided to phase in the mango park development is because the amount of seedlings, which are required in terms of …grafting them and so on, is going to take a period of time. So, we picked five persons first so that the seedling availability up to March will match their 250 acres,” he noted.

“So once you want seedlings, we have to … ensure that what you are getting are the right types of seedlings, the right things have taken place, the budding is very good, the grafting, everything is in place,” Dr. Powell added.

He noted that the Bodles Research Station in St. Catherine will assist in supplying seedlings and two companies that have been certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Chief Technical Officer in the Ministry, Orville Palmer, said that the Ministry is upgrading the facilities at Bodles to provide quality planting material to farmers.

“Our plant protection laboratory is working towards ISO 1702 type certification, and we are hoping to achieve that by early next year. So, it means that the information that you’ll be getting will be up to international standards,” he informed.

“In addition to that, the Agricultural Land Management Division has a soil laboratory that will test the soil and provide the technical guidance that you need to develop a fertiliser programme for your crops,” Mr. Palmer noted.