Jamaicans Get Funding To Strengthen Food Security, Agriculture Resilience
By: , May 18, 2022
Photo: Mark Bell
Jamaica’s agriculture sector is slated to benefit from millions of dollars in support to bolster food security by strengthening the country’s agricultural output and improving sustainability and resilience within the sector. The initiatives, to be implemented through partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), include a $38-million Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Reduction programme that will focus on strengthening food value chain operations. It is part of strategic food security actions for the new fiscal year. “That will speak to a strategy for reducing food losses along value chains, supporting our farmers to reduce post-harvest losses, and extending produce shelf-life to ensure enhanced farm and household cash inflows,” said Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. He was making his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 17). The Ministry will also be collaborating with the FAO to undertake projects to improve phytosanitary, food safety and market access opportunities along the hot pepper value chain, with funding of $152 million, and improve rural livelihoods through resilient agri-food systems, at a cost of $152 million. The partnership will also include the $45-million Rocky Point Fishing Beach Improvement Project to include provision of landing equipment, fish cleaning and storage facilities, mangrove protection, as well as training for users, and the identification of two technical projects valued at $37 million for implementation across the sector. (more) Jamaica Gets…2 In the meantime, Minister Charles Jr. informed that under the South-South Cooperation Programme, which is a partnership with FAO, China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Jamaica will benefit from a project valued at approximately US$2 million. It is aimed at strengthening post coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery policies and programmes that facilitate better decision-making; promoting digitalisation and ecommerce strategies among farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and providing inputs for digitalisation of rural areas and for participation in the United Nations’ 1,000 Digital Village Initiative as a post COVID-19 measure. The Minister noted that the FAO has greatly assisted the sector with technical training, funding of programmes and initiatives, and its continued support in the upcoming year in key focus areas is in line with the organisation’s thrust to support food security in the region.The Full Story
Jamaica’s agriculture sector is slated to benefit from millions of dollars in support to bolster food security by strengthening the country’s agricultural output and improving sustainability and resilience within the sector.
The initiatives, to be implemented through partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), include a $38-million Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Reduction programme that will focus on strengthening food value chain operations.
It is part of strategic food security actions for the new fiscal year.
“That will speak to a strategy for reducing food losses along value chains, supporting our farmers to reduce post-harvest losses, and extending produce shelf-life to ensure enhanced farm and household cash inflows,” said Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.
He was making his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 17).
The Ministry will also be collaborating with the FAO to undertake projects to improve phytosanitary, food safety and market access opportunities along the hot pepper value chain, with funding of $152 million, and improve rural livelihoods through resilient agri-food systems, at a cost of $152 million.
The partnership will also include the $45-million Rocky Point Fishing Beach Improvement Project to include provision of landing equipment, fish cleaning and storage facilities, mangrove protection, as well as training for users, and the identification of two technical projects valued at $37 million for implementation across the sector.
In the meantime, Minister Charles Jr. informed that under the South-South Cooperation Programme, which is a partnership with FAO, China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Jamaica will benefit from a project valued at approximately US$2 million.
It is aimed at strengthening post coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery policies and programmes that facilitate better decision-making; promoting digitalisation and ecommerce strategies among farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and providing inputs for digitalisation of rural areas and for participation in the United Nations’ 1,000 Digital Village Initiative as a post COVID-19 measure.
The Minister noted that the FAO has greatly assisted the sector with technical training, funding of programmes and initiatives, and its continued support in the upcoming year in key focus areas is in line with the organisation’s thrust to support food security in the region.