PM Calls For More Businesslike Approach To Farming

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says farmers should take a more businesslike approach to their trade and take advantage of the numerous opportunities the industry now offers.

He cited prospects available through linkages with tourism and other sectors, and encouraged them to utilise technology and follow best practices in order to increase productivity and income.

“If you are in farming, we want to associate you with profits. You must be able to profit from your enterprise, your industry, your effort, and the sweat that you put in,” the Prime Minister said.

He was giving the keynote address at the 65th Hague agricultural and industrial show in Falmouth, Trelawny, on February 26.

Mr. Holness called for removal of the stigma surrounding farming, noting that gone are the days when the profession was frowned upon, dismissed as being outside mainstream and unbefitting of persons with any kind of social status.

He said that farming is a lucrative business and participants must “take their rightful place as major contributors to the nation’s coffers”.

“Agriculture is the base of the economy. If agriculture doesn’t grow, then you can be certain that there will not be much if any growth at all in the economy,” the Prime Minister noted.

Mr. Holness congratulated the organisers of the Hague show for putting on a quality product.

“I am here at Hague to show my support for the agricultural sector. I am here to show my support for rural development. I am also here to show my support for the efforts of the small farmers who have been toiling for centuries in this country.

“The time has come to pair your energy, your effort and your commitment with the capital and the technology and the scale needed to make agriculture a profitable endeavour in Jamaica,” the Prime Minister said.