Hungry for change: Hounslow Post Harvest Plant Opened
July 9, 2011The Full Story
Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding said that the government was making strides to transform the agriculture sector to ensure that it becomes an exciting one.
He was marking the opening of the J$45 million post harvest and packaging facility at the Hounslow St. Elizabeth property of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The plant was constructed under the Improving Jamaica's Agricultural Productivity (IJAP) project, a collaboration between the government, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Food processed here will benefit from cold storage technology and reach the market fresh.
The plant is run by GraceKennedy which currently has contractual arrangements to buy 16,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables per week from local farmers. The plant has 26 employees with room for expansion to 30.
The facility has been leased by GraceKennedy which will package fresh vegetables under the newly launched Fresh n' Ready brand. GraceKennedy also invested J$43 million in agro processing equipment at Hounslow.
In her remarks, Acting High Commissioner of Canada, Andrene Blouin, said that the support from her government should be of direct benefit to 200,000 persons and help to reduce the reliance on imported food.
Minister of Agriculture, Robert Montague, said that the IJAP project will complete refurbishing work at the Christiana packaging plant by the end of the year. That plant will be managed by the Christiana Potato Growers Association.
Mr Golding paid tribute to former Minister of Agriculture, Dr Christopher Tufton, for implementing the IJAP project. Dr Tufton is now the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce.