Ministry Allocates $250 Million to Provide More Help for Farmers

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has allocated $250 million to the second phase of the Hurricane Melissa recovery programme, specifically targeting farmers who were missed during the initial rollout.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (May 13).

He noted that the Ministry is exploring a voucher system to provide direct aid to those who were overlooked in the first phase.

Additional support will also be provided to livestock, yam and coffee farmers, the Minister said.

He noted, however, that for the country to build resilience, more emphasis must be placed on backyard gardening.

“So, this year we will be continuing our Backyard Gardening Programme and we’ll be distributing 5,000 backyard gardening kits targeting urban spaces and also some aeroponic towers, so we can increase the production at home,” Minister Green outlined.

He also unveiled plans to restore fruit trees across the island, after a significant amount of them were destroyed during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The Ministry plans to establish 3,000 acres of orchard crop by 2035, with a focus on ackee, breadfruit, mango, coconut and avocado.

“In fact, we have worked with Trees that Feed Foundation and we have gotten three new avocado varieties – the Hass, the Carla and the Semil 34… . These varieties give us the ability to grow avocado right around the year. We will move it from a seasonal crop,” Minister Green announced.

He stated that the Ministry will also continue the Citrus Revitalisation Programme to restore the citrus industry.

Additionally, focus will be on the Wambugu apple, which has thrived in Jamaica’s climate, Minister Green said.

“We’re now growing [Wambugu apple] in our agro-park and we’re going to use it to replace the very popular American apple. It came out of Kenya [and] has taken well to this environment,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Minister Green announced that he has directed the Ministry’s Seed and Nursery Certification Unit at Bodles to partner with the Forestry Department to rapidly expand the country’s fruit tree planting base, as part of a drive this year to plant a fruit tree in every household in Jamaica by 2033.