JAS Assuring Adequate Supply of Produce for Christmas
By: November 23, 2015 ,The Key Point:
The Facts
- Addressing a JIS Think Tank recently, the JAS President said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries should be commended for the support given to the farmers during the drought period.
- Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that at the end of the September quarter, the agricultural sector recorded over two per cent growth, notwithstanding the drought.
The Full Story
President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Senator Norman Grant, is assuring consumers that there will be adequate supply of produce for the upcoming festive season.
Addressing a JIS Think Tank recently, the JAS President said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries should be commended for the support given to the farmers during the drought period.
“The Government implemented drought mitigation strategies by providing tanks and assisting with drip irrigation, distributing water to greenhouse farmers, and expanded the agro parks, to ensure that the fallout in production during the drought period would be significantly minimised”, Senator Grant noted.
He said the support from the Government has resulted in maintaining the prices of vegetables such as tomatoes at a reasonable rate, while the productivity of the agro-parks, and other support strategies, have ensured consistent supply of local foods.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that at the end of the September quarter, the agricultural sector recorded over two per cent growth, notwithstanding the drought. “Now that we are having rains, growth in the third quarter is expected to be higher,” Senator Grant said.
“Based on projections, we are expecting to have most agriculture foods available and where there are some gaps, the Ministry of Agriculture, based on the policy framework, will ensure that there is no imbalance that will affect pricing for consumers,” he said.