Yam farmer Kayson McKoy is now many steps closer to pursuing his dream of becoming a household name in agriculture. He’s the first winner of $1 million in the Digicel Golden SIM promotion.

“I was completely shocked,” Kayson, 22, told Digicel representatives, “I never believed I could be a winner.” The former Albert Town High School student has been a loyal Digicel customer for over 10 years.

The elated young farmer shared how he entered the business in 2019 on small plot of land in Lowe River, Trelawny, where he now grows over 1,500 heads of yellow yam. The business has since expanded to include ginger and a few sweet potato tubers under cultivation.

McKoy now provides yams for export, while he continues to supply market vendors. He also plans to increase production and hire more workers.

Beyond business, the enterprising farmer has earmarked a portion of his winnings toward helping his mother: “I’ll get to help out my mother finish her house and extend my farm to make more money and build my future.

“I always loved farming,” said McKoy, who shared that he grew up seeing his uncle in the fields. After losing his father at a tender age, the only boy of four assumed responsibility as the man of the household, fuelling his desire to provide for himself and his family.

Following the prize handover at the Digicel headquarters in Kingston on Wednesday, June 29, brand marketing manager for Digicel Carla Hollingsworth commented, “We are touched by Kayson’s drive and ambition to succeed, especially in terms of how this Golden SIM win will help him to get there.” Hollingsworth added, “Our Golden SIM promotion is about celebrating our 21st anniversary by giving $1 million every week for 21 weeks to our customers who have supported us over the year.

The 21-week Golden SIM promotion runs until November 6, 2022. Each week, a Digicel prepaid or postpaid customer will have a chance to win one million dollars, if the serial number on their SIM card matches the weekly Golden SIM number. The winning number is posted every Tuesday on Digicel’s social media pages, newspapers, the MyDigicel app, and balance enquiry messages. Mobile customers who top-up, activate plans, make calls and texts and pay bills on time automatically enter the promotion.