National Agricultural Development Plan On The Way

A national agricultural development plan that focuses on ensuring food security is “well on the way” says Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green.

He said that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is providing technical cooperation in crafting the plan, with support of about $75 million.

“The work has started and we have pulled in a cross-sectorial committee,” the Minister informed, noting that Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Broilers (CB) Group, Matthew Lyn, has committed to leading the private-sector engagement “because this is not a government plan; this is an all-of-Jamaica plan.

“One of the things [the Ministry] is very serious about incorporating in this plan is a national food reserve to ensure that in times of crisis, if the world were to close down again as it has done in the past, Jamaica will always be able to feed itself. That comes first,” he said.

Minister Green was addressing the recent opening of CB Group’s multimillion-dollar Air Chill Poultry Processing Plant in Hill Run, St. Catherine.

The facility will enable a shift from water-based processing to air-chilling, which improves the taste of the chicken, reduces the risk of cross-contamination and saves on the use of water.

Minister Green said the plant, which is capable of processing an additional 30 million kilograms of chicken annually, will allow Jamaica to substitute 100 per cent of the chicken meat currently imported and also position the country to supply the Caribbean and the wider world.

“This all ties together to achieve our goal of food security. Food production alone cannot ensure food and nutrition security as experiences in the region and abroad have shown. As a result, food security is viewed in policy as the outcome of a dynamic agricultural sector that receives inputs from and provides inputs to the rest of the economy and foreign markets,” the Minister said.

He underscored that as a small island developing State, it is critical that Jamaica embraces technological advances to reach its goal of food security.

“The poultry industry, along with other industries within the sector, is poised for growth. With the increased uptake and utilisation of technology and greater investment within the space, food security becomes an achievable goal, provided there is buy-in from all players along the value chain,” he said.