THE biggest interest in agri-business marketing in Jamaica since the Agricultural Marketing Corporation (AMC) of the 1970s and the Spring Plains concept a decade later, is being stirred by the availability of funds for small and medium-size firms, courtesy of the European Union (EU).

The EU has committed 4.6 million euros to promote agri-business development in the 15 member-countries of CARIFORUM, the regional grouping of countries which have signed international trade and aid pacts with the EU.

Uncharacteristically, two Jamaican firms jumped ahead of the Caribbean in winning the first two approvals for money under the joint European Commission-CARIFORUM Agri-business Research and Training Fund, called CARTF-MIP. The funds will be used to finance their market information projects.

The firms are the nine-year-old Profitable Corporate Solutions (PCS) which is based at Barbados Avenue in New Kingston and the younger A-Z Information Jamaica Limited now just over three years in business and operating out of Worthington Terrace, also in New Kingston.

Jamaica is well known for trailing the region in its ability to prepare funding applications quickly and the island’s reputation sinks further when it comes to timely implementation of projects. As a result, available funds frequently wait idle in the bank for drawdown.

Barbados recently became the second CARIFORUM country to get approval for grants, and two other unnamed countries are soon to be in the line-up, according to CARTF-MIP.

Last Thursday, ambassador of the European Union, Gerd Jarchow, presented two cheques, representing the first drawdown on the grants: US$11,250 for Profitable Corporate Solutions and US$8,250 to A-Z Information Jamaica. The total grant amount is just under US$80,000 of which PCS gets US$40, 977 and A-Z US$38,437.

Jarchow appeared pleased that the Jamaicans had been able to complete their applications, get approval and receive their first cheques, all in the space of eight months.

“The (European Union) Delegation is pleased to be associated with the presentation of these cheques,” said the ambassador. “We look forward to the results of the MIP projects as they facilitate access to reliable information on where to buy and sell food and agricultural products in Jamaica.”

Jean Smith, the national co-ordinator of the CARTF-MIP, who walked the companies through the application process, said more money was available under the fund which was set up last October to reverse the shortcomings in marketing agricultural products in the Caribbean’s small and medium agricultural sectors.

“It is hoped that even more projects will be submitted from Jamaica before the grant comes to an end in April 2004,” said Smith, who operates out of the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA).

Smith said the CARTF-MIP grant would be used to set up market information systems that would address the inadequacy of 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.

At the cheque presentation on Thursday, chairman of A-Z Information Jamaica, Noel Watson, said his company would use its grant 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.

Winston Graver, project manager for Profitable Corporate Solutions Limited, said his company was setting 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 e-mail messaging will be evaluated as tools for the dissemination of the information to buyers, sellers and agricultural organisations.

Presentation of the cheques comes against the background of renewed interest in Jamaica in marketing agricultural products, an interest not seen since the AMC of the Michael Manley administration in the 1970s and the Spring Plains mother-farm concept of the 1980s Edward Seaga government.

In addition to PCS and A-Z, at least three other organisations are putting the final touches to market information systems. These are: the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA); Jampro, the Government’s one-stop clearing house for investment; and the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), the umbrella organisation which lobbies for farmers.

RADA’s Agri-business Information System (ABIS) appears to be the most advanced of those systems. Jampro plans to link agri producers to markets through its trade point arrangement, and the JAS is pursuing a plan to collect information from farmers to be passed on to agri producers and buyers.