TWO grants in agri-business marketing in Jamaica will tomorrow be presented to two local firms by Ambassador of the European Union, Gerd Jarchow.

The grants, totalling US$80,000, are the first to be approved under the joint CARIFORUM-European Union Research and Training Fund (CARTF), which supports agri-businesses in the small and medium sectors.

Ambassador Jarchow will hand over the cheques to A-Z Information Jamaica Limited and Profitable Corporate Solutions Limited, putting them in a position to finance the establishment of marketing information systems to push their agri-businesses.

The Jamaican companies went to the head of the line, becoming the first to get approval under the CARTF Management Information Projects, which was launched last October to reverse the shortcomings in marketing agricultural products in the Caribbean’s small and medium agricultural sectors.

CARTF-MIP is part of a larger project to which the European Union has committed 4.6 million euro to promote agribusiness development in the 15 member-countries of CARIFORUM, the regional grouping of countries which have signed international trade and aid pacts with the European Union.

“It is hoped that even more projects will be submitted from Jamaica before the grant comes to an end in April 2004,” said Jean Smith, one of two Jamaican national co-ordinators for the CARTF-MIP.

The other national co-ordinator is Tara Whyte, who is based at the National Development Fund (NDF).

Smith, who operates out of the Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA), said the CARTF- MIP grant would be used to set up market information systems that would address the problem of inadequate reliable information on where to buy and sell food and agricultural products in Jamaica.

“The information will link farmers and other owners of small and medium enterprises, who sometimes have to sell their food products at low prices, with buyers who are not always able to find adequate supplies of food products at competitive prices,” she said.

A-Z Information Jamaica Limited will use its grant of US$38,500 to provide a user-friendly, inexpensive telephone based information service which will allow farmers, sellers, resellers, exporters, buyers and policy makers to easily exchange information and thereby make more profitable and efficient decisions.

Profitable Corporate Solutions Limited receives US$41,000 to set up a pilot project to establish a market information system for cassava, Scotch Bonnet pepper, pigs and goats. The use of cellular text messaging, voice-mail (both cellular and landline) and email messaging will be evaluated as tools for the dissemination of the information to buyers, sellers and agricultural organisations.