JAS Establishing Marketing Information Centre to Assist Farmers

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) is establishing a Marketing Information Centre (JASMIC) that will assist farmers to market their produce in real time.

Making his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on January 30, Senator Grant noted that this platform is now being developed by a consortium of software engineers from the Mona School of Business.

“This includes the development of a software platform which will be able to process farmers listing produce they have available, and for buyers to respond and complete transactions,” he said.

Senator Grant further explained that the JASMIC infrastructure will consist of a 20-seat call centre to administer the software platform.

He added that it will provide marketing information and facilities for completing buy/sell transactions between produce buyers and the farmer.

“Farmers will be able to access the system by phone (voice or text) or by any other communication device connected to the internet. Farmers will be able to communicate their r information by phone or text, and those familiar with the Internet may use their laptops, tablets or PCs to supply information on production to the call centre,” Senator Grant said.

He also informed that the Jamaica Agricultural Society has acquired $10 million in funding from the Universal Service Fund to build a Farmers’ Call Centre, adding that this will complement the Jamaica Agricultural Society Commercial Enterprises Limited (JASCEL), a central marketing platform for farmers.

Senator Grant pointed out that this initiative will be supported by a donation of 270 computers from the Republic Korea.