Young Jamaicans Encouraged to Get in Touch with RYEEP

Young Jamaicans are being encouraged to apply to the Jamaica 4-H Club’s Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP), by 27-year-old farmer, Chomaine Thomas.

Owner of Chomaine Foods and a recent beneficiary of RYEEP, Mr. Thomas, who operates a farm in Clarendon, told JIS News that he applied to join the initiative earlier this year.

“I read about it and applied. I got a call from them and I did an interview where they evaluated me and we discussed my plans for farming,” he noted.

Mr. Thomas said he was chosen for a three-week goat care course, in which he was taught skills in business management, the care of animals and marketing.

“There were over 100 of us. I found it very informative, especially in terms of the care of the goats. I personally learned a lot. Right now, they are going through the process of input, which means they are going ahead and giving us goats to start goat rearing,” he added.

Mr. Thomas said the experience was very valuable.

“As a young farmer, it is good to have the support where you have people who you can call, who are leading you in the right direction. The programme is very valuable for everyone who takes part, because knowledge is power and one of the issues that we have in farming is that people don’t know really what they are getting into,” he argued.

“I would encourage young people to apply to RYEEP, because once you are in farming they have different programmes for pig care, broilers and layers,” Mr. Thomas said.

The young farmer, who also works in transportation, began farming in 2020. He currently raises livestock, including goats and pigs. He also has layers, and farms pineapple, banana and plantain.

“During the pandemic, everything was shut down and with the loss of income, it’s something that I considered, saying even though transportation slowed down, there were people making money through farming. I started planning in 2020, in terms of what I was going to do. Then I got the first set of chickens in August of 2021. From there I just kept adding livestock and crops,” he said.

Mr. Thomas pointed out that his business has been growing rapidly and he plans to take on farming full-time.

“The company has grown; the hardest part is just the balance, and financially you have to take your time and get into it. The company’s official launch date has been set for September 1 to 3 when we will have our website open, so persons can order,” he said.

Since starting his business and learning critical skills from the programme, Mr. Thomas hopes to become part of the solution to local food security concerns.

“The vision for my business would be to create a bridge between farmers, such as myself and the consumers. Even during COVID I have seen the food crisis that is happening all over the world. The vision for my company is to be able to provide food that can be sold at the best cost possible, so that every Jamaican can have quality food at affordable prices,” he said.

Going forward, Mr. Thomas hopes to venture into the production of cash crops, such as tomato, lettuce and pepper.

For details on RYEEP, persons can visit the Jamaica 4-H Club Offices islandwide. To access the locations and their numbers, visit jamaica4hclubs.com/office-locations/.