KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green has expressed interest in rolling out a series of cashless farmers’ market, in collaboration with online payment solutions company, WiPay.

Speaking during the official opening of WiPay’s headquarters in New Kingston on August 26, Green said the initiative is consistent with the Government’s drive to expand the E-commerce industry in Jamaica.

“The online market space is an inclusive space, and we want to see more of our farmers and our consumers meeting in that space, to drive the growth of our agriculture and fisheries sectors,” he stated.

Green pointed out that since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, some farmers have been using social media to market their goods and offer delivery services.

This, he noted, is just another step in the transformation of the Jamaican agricultural industry.

Against that background, Green said the process of using a point-of-sale terminal provided through WiPay, allows for a shopper to make their purchase with a vendor or farmer using their bank card seamlessly.

“We have to use digital technology to transform our rural communities because that is where you will find so many people who are unbanked. As our traditional financial services take different approaches, I believe it creates a great opportunity for WiPay to get into these rural centres, and to engage our businesses and consumers on the WiPay platform,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WiPay Caribbean, Aldwyn Wayne said the company aims to provide value to the underrepresented in society.

He commended the Bank of Jamaica and the Government for recognising the importance of technology, which, he said, was one of the deciding factors for moving the company’s headquarters from Trinidad and Tobago to Jamaica.

Wayne noted that over the next 12 months, the company will be investing US$4 million into the Jamaican economy, which includes hiring 40 Jamaicans at technical and mid-level management.

— JIS