THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is helping to strengthen small ruminant farming on the island so as to increase farmers’ income and profitability, says minister of state in the ministry, Franklin Witter.

He was addressing the closing ceremony for the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Livestock Technical Services Providers’ Small Ruminant Production Training Programme, which was held at Eltham Training Centre in Ocho Rios, St Ann, last Friday.

“As we seek to strengthen the industry and to build capacity for small farmers, I know this is going to be a very, very important part of the whole exercise as we seek to ensure that our farmers in the small ruminant industry are able to produce more and increase their income and profit margin,” the state minister said.

Forty-seven livestock officers, animal health technicians, and technical service providers participated in the week-long course which was designed to provide them with hands-on training, theoretical knowledge, and practical skills in small ruminant production techniques. These officers will assist small ruminant farmers to increase production.

The SAC project is funded by the Government of Canada, through World University Services of Canada (WUSC), and is mobilised by Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). The newly certified officers also received toolkits to aid in the execution of their duties.

“This project is undoubtedly valuable to Jamaica and the Caribbean at large. In fact, it falls perfectly in line with what we are doing at the ministry through our new FACE of Food [initiative],” Witter said.

The ministry’s new Face of Food campaign is geared towards driving food security, agribusiness development, climate change technologies, and export expansion.

The state minister said that with the help of the newly trained personnel, issues in the small ruminant sector can be alleviated.

Acting head of cooperation at Global Affairs Canada Madani Thiam said: “Canada is proud to be a trusted partner in supporting Jamaica to achieve its sustainable development goals through interventions that improve economic prosperity, build sustainable food production systems, but also ensure gender equality,” Thiam said.

“I would like to extend congratulations to all those who participated in this training. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and commitment to improving the livelihoods of small ruminant farmers is inspiring,” Thiam added.