TRACI-ANNE Williams has done what many others have thought about but never had the courage to do. She has left her post as a trainer at one of the island’s largest business process outsourcing firms, Conduent Jamaica, to become a farmer in the pig and poultry sectors.

The young farmer, who is supported by her spouse in the new venture, operates on land located in Osbourne Store, Clarendon.

“It’s less than 1/4 acre for now,” Williams told the Jamaica Observer, indicating that she has dreams of expanding. “I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur.”

Her first registered business was a skin care line started in the middle of the pandemic, but that never materialised because of the time constraints of her call centre job.

The young woman did a market review and saw animal rearing as the next thing she could do really well. “ I looked at the farming market — animal rearing — and fell in love. That’s when I decided that this is it.”

Business has seen ebbs and flows in the past year but Williams now has two piglets and goats. No chickens are currently in the coop. This is the very beginning however, and she believes diligence will bring results.

The farmer’s aim is to produce easily accessible, competitively priced and hormone-free animals.“I have not bought any chemically created antibiotics or boosters; I use home remedies tested and proven effective for healthy animals,” she said.

Pork has seen low profit margins but the farmer is optimistic. “With all these new restaurants and jerk centres [in Kingston, St Catherine and other parishes], the demand is coming back up. Goat meat is in demand but [it is] also seasonal and booms when it comes to the Christmas season. Chicken is and will always be in high demand and is one of the most consumed meats in Jamaica.”

Williams’ target market, long term, is small wholesales, small hotels that offer meal service, corner shops and regular households.

She is being guided on her journey by Nicola McKenize of the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC), who Williams outlines “has assisted me with attending classes on business management and has been assisting me with getting my new business regulated”.

Williams also plans to explore business loan options with McKenzie.

The farmer is looking to expand and grow. She is also grateful to Jamaica 4-H Clubs that offered a pig care/management class which she found “helpful and informative”.

The Jamaica 4-H Clubs is the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ youth training arm committed to developing leaders with marketable skills.

Funds available comprise her last pay. She says, “I just started literally with the salary I was making, so percentage wise I would say one per cent of what’s needed has been put in.”

She said among the challenges experienced are finding a suitable piece of land for lease with water and electricity; and funding everything from her already stretched salary. Apart from herself, family members assist in the venture.

The journey was not easy, especially with a preteen child, Williams shared. “Making and keeping my profits without having to dip back into it to assist with day-to-day living has not been easy. It has been really difficult but I believe the same energy I gave to the call centre for ten years with no real returns, I can do it for myself as well.

“I need to expand in order to see returns. I just cannot see the funds to do so, but I am not giving up.”

Since starting up, the entrepreneur has invested over $400,000 of personal salary. However, she did not see any real returns because, she explained, “Life happens, especially when you have a child and you are the only means of financial support.” Most of the money was used to build structures for housing animals and also to purchase the small ruminants and chickens.

Williams, who hails from Grants Pen in St Andrew, never spent anytime in the rural areas previously and has never farmed before. But she is satisfied that she has chosen the right route to self-fulfillment and success.

“I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur as I knew that was the only way out of the financial situation I was born into. If you asked me what I wanted to be growing up I would tell you RN [registered nurse] or veterinarian (I doctored every puppy and cat growing up). But for my family, that was a pipeline dream due to [the lack of] finances.”

“I want to be able to still pursue one of those dreams in the near future and provide my child with a college education with ease. I will be successful so I can pay it forward to others.”

Williams said, “I wish for not only myself but for others to rise above their circumstance, situations and dare to be different. I have looked into the market of meat and one of our top chicken producers here in Jamaica recorded, over the course of six months in the year 2021, $35.8 billion [in] revenue — a 35 per cent increase year over year — which tells you that market is very viable.”

She believes that her hormone-free, antibiotics-free animals will find favour in the market.

“I have developed simple remedies which I have tested as effective to eliminate the use of antibiotics and other store-bought boosters.

The farmer said in a year’s time she is looking to have at least 200 pigs, 50 goats, a coop housing 5000 chickens, and to employ at least 30 people.

She admits, “It is a huge goal but I believe nothing is impossible with hard work and keeping God in the mix.”

The young woman is currently getting signed up with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

RADA,since 2022, has promised help to chicken farmers and is also importing small ruminants to be distributed to the farming sector.