SIX communities in the Swift River Watershed in Portland are better positioned to increase livelihood opportunities and strengthen economic resilience through the launch of a livelihood expansion programme held at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) last Thursday.

The launch, which was a collaboration between the Jamaica Rural Economy and Ecosystems Adapting to Climate Change II (Ja REEACH II), the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) and College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), featured the handover of beekeeping equipment and supplies granted to RADA. The equipment will benefit 21 farmers across several communities in the watershed.

A grant agreement was also signed between Ja REEACH II and CASE to strengthen the pineapple value chain in Portland. Through the agreement, the academic institution will provide increased access to high quality seed material, agro-processing technology, training in agronomic best practices and formal contractual arrangements between value chain actors – producers, buyers, and processors.

In his greetings, President of CASE Dr Derrick Deslandes, expressed the institution’s commitment to assist local farmers to sustainably produce goods and services that are in strong demand locally and nationally.

“One of the biggest challenge with agriculture is competitiveness”, stated Dr Deslandes. “Pineapple and breadfruit have a wide range of value-added applications. To process pineapples and breadfruit for export and local consumption requires that farmers at the base of the system are producing competitively and part of our thrust is to work with the famers with particular focus on improving the level of productivity,” he further expressed.

In her greetings Acting USAID Mission Director Rebecca Robinson urged the continued collaboration of partner institutions and the local communities.

“We implore our farmers as well as our partner institutions to protect these investments and take full advantage of the capacity building and training initiatives which will always be part and parcel of USAID assistance programmes.”

Since 2015, through collaboration with Ja REEACH II, CASE and RADA, four agriculture learning plots have established in the watershed communities and at CASE to support hands-on training of farmers and approximately 100 students. To date community groups have harvested 52 litres of honey and established 14 acres of breadfruit through the intervention.

The Ja REEACH II project is a four-year initiative funded by the USAID and implemented by ACDI/VOCA. Through a range of interventions, Ja REEACH II works with government, private sector, civil society and community-based organisations to increase awareness and application of practical actions that help Jamaicans to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.