KINGSTON, Jamaica — As part of its strategy to develop agribusiness and boost economic growth, the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro) hosted its second Agriculture Information Forum in Montego Bay recently.

JAMPRO’s hosting of this forum, according to a news release, was aimed at intensifying its promotion of agriculture with the aim of increasing investment in the sector, which the agency says is not reaching its fullest potential.

The event featured perspectives on agriculture from the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw, and presentations on key issues facing the sector including investment prospects in agribusiness, financing and innovation in agriculture, and ideas for agricultural marketing support and incentives.

JAMPRO’s Manager of Agribusiness Marlene Porter focused on opportunities for Jamaican products in international markets and the processes in identifying potential export markets.

Porter, noting that with world merchandise trade growth gaining its largest increase in six years in 2017, said: “It’s clear that agribusiness exporters had an excellent opportunity in the global market. The World Trade Organization (WTO) expects similar growth in the 2018/2019 fiscal year, and JAMPRO was looking to capitalise on this by supporting more exporters to access international markets.”

Porter then stated: “While it was positive that total food exports for 2017 had a seven per cent increase over 2016, JAMPRO was confident that Jamaica had the potential to even more rapidly increase its growth in the sector, as Jamaica has the right products to tap into these markets, and I mention healthier, natural and environmentally friendly (sustainably produced) foods as the major trend in international markets, and highlighted Jamaica’s exotic fresh produce as the major beneficiary of this development.

JAMPRO President, Diane Edwards said she also believed that the Jamaican market had many untapped opportunities in the sector and that more efforts were needed to capitalise on these trends. In her address to attendees at the event, she said, “Jamaica’s agriculture sector offers great business opportunities for investors, particularly in key crops such as yams, Irish potatoes, pumpkin, pepper, turmeric and others. But have we really exploited the opportunities? Jamaica has the winning advantage with our unique topography, moderate climate, enviable soil components as well as the ecosystem. This means we should have greater production and output from the sector.”

To address the challenge and to further encourage the growth of agribusiness, Edwards informed that JAMPRO would be working to educate people about the opportunities that exist in the sector, and that the agency has cemented partnerships with the relevant ministries, departments and other agencies of government to look at joint solutions to build and diversify the sector.

“To really take hold of these opportunities, we must take the necessary steps to diversify the production of agricultural crops and move towards greater self-sufficiency,” she said.