PM Urges Agro Corporation to Focus on Increasing Investment
By: , November 10, 2016The Key Point:
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), greets Property and Fixed Asset Manager of the Agro-Investment Corporation of Jamaica, Rickman Edwards (right) following a board meeting at the agency’s Spanish Town Road office in Kingston on November 9. Looking on (from second left) are Chief Executive Officer, Courtney Cole and Chief Financial Officer, Kadiana Ramballi.The Facts
- Mr. Holness was addressing the newly appointed eight-member board of the AIC during the agency’s board meeting held yesterday (November 9), at its Spanish Town Road headquarters in Kingston.
- The Agro-Investment Corporation seeks to activate, stimulate, facilitate and undertake agricultural development for the economic advancement and well-being of Jamaicans.
The Full Story
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has mandated the Agro-Investment Corporation of Jamaica (AIC) to focus on expanding the agriculture sector and creating an environment for investment.
“There are some critical things that we have to look at such as how do we get investments for special zones for agriculture, including the development of agro-parks,” he said.
“Also, getting large investors to come in and to develop a particular product; that is, not just seeing the product from a commodity perspective, but how do we extract the value-added,” he added.
Mr. Holness was addressing the newly appointed eight-member board of the AIC during the agency’s board meeting held yesterday (November 9), at its Spanish Town Road headquarters in Kingston.
Describing the AIC as the Government’s investment promotions body for agriculture, Mr. Holness stressed that the work of the entity should be centred on providing solutions to agriculture and strategies to drive investments.
“Your job is not the day-to-day operations of agriculture; it’s not so much the extension services and (providing) chemicals and seeds; that is the job of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture… you are not operational in agriculture,” he pointed out.
Mr. Holness noted that the Government is placing increased emphasis on agribusiness, which was the rationale for integrating Industry and Commerce with Agriculture and Fisheries.
The Agro-Investment Corporation seeks to activate, stimulate, facilitate and undertake agricultural development for the economic advancement and well-being of Jamaicans.