Flagaman Cold Storage Facilities to Boost Agricultural Productivity

More than 1000 fresh fruit and vegetable farmers in Flagaman and surrounding areas in St. Elizabeth, now have access to modern cold storage facilities, which will cut their losses from spoilage, boost their productivity and profitability, and stabilise market supply.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, on Friday (Dec. 5), officially opened two 20-foot, solar-powered cold storage containers, which were established under the CARICOM Agri-Boost Project.

Minister Green said that the cold storage facilities will directly address long-standing challenges such as spoilage, particularly when farmers need to harvest ahead of approaching storms.

It will extend the shelf life of perishable crops like tomatoes among other produce. Flagaman is one of Jamaica’s leading and well-known communities for growing tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits such as melon and cantaloupe.

“Tomatoes normally last about two weeks. We can drive that for an additional 20 days. Root crops can be stored for months,” the Minister said.

He noted that the facilities are fully solar-powered ensuring continuous operation even after severe weather, which can cause prolonged electrical outages.

The Minister said that Flagaman was deliberately chosen to benefit from the cold storage solution because it is one of the island’s most productive zones.

“Flagaman is the community in Jamaica that has the most registered farmers… and when you look at the profile of what is farmed in Flagaman, it needs storage or you will continue to suffer significant losses,” he pointed out.

The CARICOM Agriboost Project, supported by the Government of New Zealand, is designed to strengthen food security across the region and empower women and young people in agribusiness.

In addition to the new cold storage facilities, the project will include the establishment of five modern production greenhouses valued at US$64,000.

“We are going to be building out…five state-of-the-art greenhouses so that we can modernise some of our production systems. We are going to be targeting women and youth and the idea is that in and out of season, even when we have these weather-related events, Flagaman and St. Elizabeth should always have food,” Minister Green said.

He noted that the entire project is a crucial part of the Ministry’s broader effort to build long-term resilience for farmers, and secure food supplies.

“This investment allows us to fast track our systems around resilience, to increase productivity in a real way and to introduce the kind of innovation that you, farmers, have longed for,” he pointed out.

“As we build back from Hurricane Melissa, we can’t build back the same way. We have to build back better,” he added.