Small Farmers Generate Nearly $400m In Sales Via Agri-Linkages Exchange Platform

Small farmers have, so far, generated sales totalling nearly $400 million via the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform in 2024.

This was disclosed by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who noted that this out-turn resulted from trading between the farmers and hotels, describing this as being “very significant”.

Noting that close to $1 billion was generated via the ALEX platform last year, Mr. Bartlett expressed optimism about continued growth, despite setbacks arising in 2024 in relation to visitor arrivals due to Hurricane Beryl and other disruptions in the sector.

“We expect that the year will end with excess of over $500 million of trading between these small farmers,” he told JIS News.

“So, the linkages that we’ve tried to develop between tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and the myriad of industries that operate within our space is something that we are getting more and more proud of, as a larger number of Jamaicans are becoming inserted in the tourism value chain,” Minister Bartlett added.

The ALEX platform is a collaborative initiative between the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) that has revolutionised the interaction between hoteliers and farmers.