Agro-Investment Corporation told the Jamaica Observer that under its national Agro Park and Production Zone programme it has been sensitising investors/farmers in cultivating onion against the background of the Government’s thrust at import substitution for the condiment.

Scallions and onions are an indispensable element in Jamaican cooking.

The Jamaican Government has an onion development programme, which is a sub-programme of the agriculture ministry’s production and productivity programme, which itself targets specific products over the medium term that have competitive and/or comparative advantage to use as alternative or direct substitute to imported products. Onion is one such.

It is expected that increased onion production will enable the country to reduce loss of foreign exchange.

Agri-Invest told the Business Observer that onion (Allium cepa L) production has increased significantly from 2,106 tonnes in 2020/2021 to 3,927.81 tonnes in 2021/2022 financial year.

Notably, there were more hectares planted across the parishes of St Thomas, St Catherine, Clarendon, and St Elizabeth for the financial year 2020/2021 compared to the financial year 2021/2022. From the data provided there was a 46.36 per cent increase in onion production.

Israeli technology

On one farm in St Catherine, 200 acres of land formerly used for the growing of sugar cane is now under onions using Israeli technology.

A farm manager from the responsible company, Gideon Siterman, outlined that, traditionally, heavy clay is not a “soil recommended for the growing of onions, but with the technology and land practices introduced by the Israeli, we were able to loosen the soil and prepare it adequately for onion production, which was very successful this season”.

It was projected that onion yield would be above “the world’s average” at 11 tonnes per hectare.

In total, Jamaica is producing about 30 per cent of onion demand. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is targeting 100 per cent self-sufficiency in onion production under its Production Incentive Programme. It was aiming at 20 tonnes per hectare in 2021/2022.

In 2021, Jamaica only grew seven per cent of local onion demand. Subsequently Agro-Invest has brought together some 60 private sector partners on leased lands located in Amity Hall, St Catherine, and Ebony Park in Clarendon – to grow more onions.

Altogether, Over 3.5 million kilogrammes of produce have been harvested to date from the parks, such as onions, peppers, vegetables, potatoes, yams, melons, and pineapples.