Today, Jamaica boasts the youngest average age of farmers in the region: 48.7 years old. That is a significant shift from the global average of 58.1, and it tells us something powerful: Agriculture is becoming attractive again. While our older farmers have long shouldered the weight of the sector, we are now seeing a new generation joining the sector that is equally ambitious, tech-savvy, and business-minded.

But let me be clear, this did not happen by chance. It started in 2020 with the simple act of listening.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining set out on a nationwide tour meeting with farmers in every parish, asking them directly about their struggles and their vision for agriculture. Out of that listening tour came real, deliberate action.

That same year we launched the National Agriculture Roadmap, developed by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs. It became a comprehensive guide for young people; showing how to access land, find scholarships, choose a career path in agriculture, connect with training institutions and financing opportunities. We laid out the path and then we cleared it.

We did not stop at talk. We made policy. I directed that 20 per cent of all Government-controlled agricultural land be set aside for young people under preferential terms. We also mandated that 20 per cent of the ministry’s benefits be targeted at youth, women, and persons with disabilities.

We expanded programmes like the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) to train young people in farming and equip them with life skills, business planning, and the tools to turn their ideas into viable agribusinesses. By 2022 more than 1,000 young farmers had participated in RYEEP, with over 800 receiving inputs such as livestock, plants, and equipment to support their agricultural enterprises.

Our mandate has gone so well that we had to revise our targetin 2023 to 25 per cent of all our new agro parks are reserved for youth. And, as at the end of the 2024/2025 financial year, youth occupy 29 per cent of our new agro park land.

So when we see more youth on the land today, more young people proudly posting their harvests on social media, and more young people who are pursuing other fields switching to agriculture, it is no coincidence. It is a new era. One we are working hard to craft.

There is however still more to be done, especially to ensure that agriculture and fisheries become careers of choice. This is why we have continued a series of deliberate actions, each building on the last to make farming and fishing possible, profitable, dignified, and future-ready.

It is against this framework that I used my presentation in Parliament to announce new initiatives and bold expansions that take us even further into this new era.

Taking the same listening approach, we journeyed to the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) to ask youth there what they wanted to see from their Government. Out of that exercise the Graduate Recruitment, Internship and Training Programme (GRIT) has been borne. This is a direct response to what young graduates have consistently told us. Time and again I have heard, “Minister, I have the passion, but not the experience and no one will hire me without it.”

GRIT is our answer. It is a bridge from university into the real world of agri-business, research, extension services, and modern farming. Through a partnership with the HEART/NSTA Trust participants will be placed in critical parts of the sector, from government agencies to private farms, with pay. They will get hands-on training and sharpen their skills in technology, agronomy, climate resilience, and food systems.

We are also investing earlier. Across 440 schools, more than 114,000 students are engaged in agriculture through active school gardens. They are growing vegetables, root crops and herbs and learning the value of food production and life skills. This year we are investing $20 million to increase the number of participating schools by 40 per cent.

We have also launched the Rabbit Production Programme. Through this initiative we are distributing 300 breeding pairs to schools and young farmers. Rabbits offer an accessible entry point into livestock. They teach care, discipline, and business thinking and provide an early source of income.

These efforts are all aimed at building a generation of agri-leaders from the roots up.

Another major shift is in land access and startup support. The Agro Park Youth Start-Up Programme reduces lease costs by 50 per cent, provides free land preparation and seeds, and removes many of the bureaucratic hurdles that block new farmers from getting started. We are clearing the way for youth to grow and thrive.

We are also strengthening our support systems. The Agricultural Extension Service Assistant Programme places trained young people across Jamaica to work alongside our Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) officers. This improves access to technical assistance for farmers while giving youth hands-on experience and income.

Our commitment does not stop there. The Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) has already trained hundreds of young people in areas such as climate-smart production, marketing, book keeping, and stress management. This year we added a new element: the first RYEEP National Agribusiness Pitch Competition. The energy was undeniable. Twelve finalists presented bold ideas. Two young women each secured $1 million to launch their ventures.

The quality of the presentations made one thing clear: Jamaica’s young people are ready. That is why we are expanding the competition and increasing the allocation to $5 million.

So, yes, when we say new era we mean an ecosystem in which the youth are stepping up, the elderly are protected, and every farmer — from Flagaman to Buff Bay — has a reason to stay in the soil and see a future.

Our farmers deserve a future they can believe in. We are here to make sure they have one in this new era of transformation.

Floyd Green is minister of agriculture, fisheries and mining.

Floyd Green