LIME TREE, Trelawny — With Jamaica earning only US$40 million of a potential US$100 million from yam exports, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green says the Government is working to link farmers directly with exporters to eliminate middlemen and boost earnings.

Speaking in the farming community of Mendez Town in the yam belt constituency of Trelawny Southern on Thursday, the agriculture minister said thought is being given to providing transportation support to help farmers bypass intermediaries who drive down prices.

“We are working now to ensure that our farmers get the best sort of price for their yam. It is important that the farmers get the return on the benefit. They do the hard work. I have met with a couple of the exporters, and we are coming up with a strategy to ensure that more and more you maximise your profit. Part of it means that we might have to provide you with some support so that you can transport to the exporter, instead of depending on the middle man that drive down the price,” Green told yam farmers.

He was speaking at the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) handing-over ceremony of the $140-million Mendez Town Road Rehabilitation Project in Lime Tree, Trelawny.

“We want to ensure that more people get involved in our yam business. Because even though we doing US$40 million, we know we can do much more. There is an over US$100-million market right there for yams. We have the best yam in the world, and it is farmed right here in South Trelawny,” he added.

Green also disclosed that research has been conducted in collaboration with Jamaica Promotions Corporation to develop a strategy to advance the yam industry. He promised to provide details during his sectoral presentation but did indicate that the plan will focus on several key areas, including a youth programme for yam farmers.

“We want to form the next generation of yam farmers. Sometimes it is difficult for them to start, but if you give them a start, they will take it from there. We’re going to come with a starter programme for the young people in South Trelawny who want to get involved in yam. Very, very important,” the minister underscored.

He also spoke about plans to supply planting material and chemicals for yam farmers.

“We have to look at the planting material. We have to provide more high-quality planting material, whether it be tissue culture or the seeds, so that you get more productivity. We want you to get more yam production in your acre of yam. Very, very important,” the agriculture minister told farmers.

“Additionally, we’re going to be working with our input providers to provide you more inputs, more chemicals, because the reality is that the cost of the chemicals is a challenge for a number of our yam farmers. We’re going to have a special programme to ensure that you can get chemicals and things like fertilizer at a reduced cost,” he added.

He spoke of the parish’s importance in yam production.

“Trelawny, for agriculture is critical. You are already our third-largest producer of agricultural items, but you produce the most valuable agricultural commodity: our number one agricultural export is yam, and the vast majority of that yam comes from right here in South Trelawny,” Green said.

“In fact, you may not know, but in 2023 we made about US$43 million from the exportation of yam. So when I say yam is a big deal, yam is a big deal! That means South Trelawny a big deal. So I want my yam farmers to know that this year, as minister, I’m going to be placing more focus on yam. Because we have a style in Jamaica that when things are going good, we leave it alone, and if we leave it alone, it will fall back,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green has plans to cut out the middle- men and get yam farmers a larger share of export revenue. (Horace Hines)