More Linkages To Support Farmers

The Agro-Investment Corporation (Agro-Invest) has been working to link and maintain linkages between farmers and new agro processors and purveyors, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This move forms part of Agro-Invest’s approach to innovate marketing methods for suppliers of local produce.

Marketing and Communications Manager at Agro-Invest, Alecia Brown Forbes, said the pandemic has brought about quite a number of changes in agriculture.

“It has made persons more evolved and has resulted in us being a little bit more innovative in how the produce is marketed. What happened is that several of the hotels closed their doors for some time, so we had to be going outside of the usual spaces to find other markets. As a result, we have been trying to create more marketing linkages with new agro-processing companies, such as Walkerswood, to come on board and to purchase the produce that we have, from not only the youth but all the investors that we have that we generally manage on a whole,” she said.

The Walkerswood Caribbean Foods Factory supplies seasonings and condiments throughout the Caribbean and internationally to North America, Europe and New Zealand. Mrs. Forbes says businesses like Walkerswood have become important links for farmers to connect and get their produce purchased.

“We have been finding new avenues, trying to engage more purveyors across the island to buy the produce, as well as more agro-processing companies. At the moment, in addition to Walkerswood, we have Spur Tree and Grace taking produce as well. We also have several purveyors, such as Tyjule, Glastonbury and a couple of others… .  So while one market dried up, we had to work very hard to find others and create other linkages,” Mrs. Forbes explained.

Other agro-processing companies and purveryors that have been supporting local farmers include Gray’s Pepper, Fresh and Direct, Everything Fresh, Twickenham Bammies, Carleston Bammies, Lajae Trading, Central Packers Ltd and Shavout.

While agro processors manufacture and process the produce to add value, for example producing condiments, purveyors buy the produce from farmers. This is then stored for resale to other farmers, exporters, supermarket chains and retailers.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Forbes also said the work to create and sustain new linkages is not over.

“At the moment, several of our farmers sell their produce to exporters as well. In light of this, we have also been trying to create more linkages with the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association through their members, to get more exporting partners on board. These linkages are valuable because farmers would be able to move their produce… without any excess or surplus,” Mrs. Forbes expressed.

Mrs. Forbes also highlighted the work of the Agriculture Ministry to support farmers during this time.

“At the moment we try our best to analyse what is happening. We will at times reach out to the Agriculture Ministry through its Buy-Back Programme. This is where the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) buys produce from the farmers. If we realise that there is going to be a glut somewhere, we try to be very proactive in getting RADA on board and getting them to purchase the produce from the farmers before they start losing it. So, there are several initiatives and strategies that we’ve employed since the pandemic has struck, to basically support the farmers,” Mrs. Forbes said.