Importance of Training and Extension Support to Agricultural Recovery Strategy Emphasised

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, says training and strengthened extension support will be central to the Government’s agricultural recovery strategy following Hurricane Melissa.

Speaking during Tuesday’s (December 16) handover ceremony at Kristen Ambersly’s Broiler Farm in Holland Village, St. Elizabeth, Mr. Green said the Ministry, through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), will intensify farmer training programmes as part of the post‑hurricane recovery effort.

“One of the best things you can get is training,” he emphasised, highlighting the importance of equipping farmers with practical knowledge to improve productivity and profitability.

Mr. Green explained that the changing climate and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns require farmers to adopt new production approaches, particularly in livestock management.

The Minister noted that farmers must adjust feeding regimes, water supply, and strategies to reduce animal stress caused by higher temperatures.

Mr. Green said RADA will play a more active role in guiding farmers through these changes, adding that post‑hurricane training initiatives will be expanded. He further urged farmers to take advantage of these opportunities as they arise.

He further indicated plans to strengthen RADA’s on‑the‑ground presence by engaging young people trained in agriculture and residing within farming communities to support extension services, thereby providing farmers with easier access to technical guidance.

“Often, one extension officer has to be dealing with about a thousand farmers, so it is challenging. If we can find a good young person who has the training from the community, we are going to work with that person to work with RADA, so that you have somebody closer that you can always call upon,” he said.

The Minister also shared an example underscoring the value of training over equipment alone, citing the experience of a long‑standing poultry farmer who benefited from changes to his feeding practices.

“The growth he used to get in six weeks, he is now getting that growth in four weeks,” Mr. Green said, pointing out that the improvement came after the farmer followed advice provided by RADA officers.

He emphasised that farming must be approached as a business, particularly in the post‑disaster context, adding “you have to keep on looking at how you can maximise your profits”.

Minister Green reiterated that agriculture remains critical to national recovery and food security, noting that despite the challenges posed by Hurricane Melissa, farmers across the island have already begun to rebound.

“We are the people who are responsible for feeding Jamaica, and we are not going to let anybody else take that role,” he maintained.