MONTPELIER, St James — Mayor of Montego Bay Councillor Richard Vernon has recommended the staging of an event to connect more stakeholders in the agricultural industry with a wide cross section of potential customers.

Vernon’s comments, which were directed to Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green, came as he brought greetings at the Montpelier Agricultural Show in Montpelier, St James, on Easter Monday.

“I am encouraging our young and capable minister to host an agriculture linkages fair at the Montego Bay Convention Centre to bring suppliers and buyers, local and international, Jampro and all the mediating bodies under one roof so that the prospect of access can be more realistic for those seeking to connect to the global and HRI markets,” Vernon proposed.

HRI refers to the hotel, restaurant and institution (HRI) market.

“This fair could ramp up the population currently participating in the sector and improve the productive output of our people,” the mayor added.

Vernon also had a suggestion about how to get students thinking about a vocation in the field of agriculture.

“I encourage our schools to ensure farmers get a booth on Careers Day and producers are invited to the classrooms. Farming is a noble practice, a secured source of income, and one of the best ways to earn US dollars legitimately and take care of your family,” he stated.

He congratulated St James farmers for sustaining communities even during the COVID-19 pandemic and for their tremendous effort in maintaining food security over the years; however, he bemoaned that “our net import still needs to be lowered”.

“This situation makes us vulnerable due to market dependence but tells us that farmers are losing out on abundant opportunities,” Vernon noted.

“For example, 60 per cent of imports are directed to hotels and restaurants.

Therefore, local farmers must improve production quality and assess demand linkages to capitalise on this opportunity. Filling this gap helps to reduce net imports but, more importantly, it retains domestic wealth,” he added.

He pointed out that sustained growth may only be realised “by significantly improving the production functions of agriculture”.

“In other words, we must leverage technology to enhance output, mainly as the sector competes with hospitality, construction and BPO for labour,” the Montego Bay mayor said.

“Additionally, our youngsters should engage in the agro-processing sector. There is a growing demand for Jamaican products. The sector has the potential to play a greater role in helping Jamaica reach economic take-off and generate shared wealth. As I speak, there is a significant demand for ackee, and we are lagging by far in supply. Who is going to step up?” he challenged.

During the event, president of the St James branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, Glendon Harris and his team were congratulated for the successful staging of the Montpelier Agricultural Show. Commendations came from the minister, the mayor and custos of St James, Bishop Conrad Pitkin.