KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s agricultural sector recorded growth of 13.7 per cent between April and June of 2025.

This is up from 3.1 per cent growth for January to March, when the island, for the first time, recorded 221,000 tonnes of production in a quarter.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, made the disclosure while delivering the main address at the 71st staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in May Pen, Clarendon on Saturday.

“I’m pleased to announce that in our April to June quarter, our Jamaican farmers have produced, from our preliminary figures, 232,000 tonnes of production,” he said.

He noted that the growth is despite the setbacks caused by Hurricane Beryl.

The agriculture minister pointed out that the Government has been consistently supporting an increase in production because “our goal is to ensure that we can feed ourselves and then move to ensure that we can help feed the region”.

He noted that one of the main areas in which support is being provided to farmers is through major irrigation projects.

“As we know, the climate has changed. We’re going through these times of extended drought; water is non-negotiable and that is why this Government is spending…to ensure that our farmers have access to water,” he pointed out.

He highlighted the recently launched Parnassus Irrigation Scheme in Clarendon, which comprises 700 acres of newly irrigated land.

“I’m pleased to advise that every single acre in Parnassus is now leased to agricultural entrepreneurs, who have started the planting and who are helping to drive our production,” the minister said.

He informed that pipe work has been completed for the Amity Hall irrigation project in St Catherine, which will bring another 800 acres under irrigation.

“We expect to launch Amity Hall in the last quarter of this year. Additionally, we’ve done all the pipe works…we’ve done the road works in Essex Valley [St Elizabeth], which will bring about 3,000 acres of agricultural land under irrigation support,” the minister said.

He pointed out that Essex Valley will also feature 24,000 square feet of storage for produce and areas for agro processing.

“We would have just broken ground this week for the rehabilitation of the Coleyville Cold Storage facility [in Manchester], with eight storage bins, and each can hold about 250,000 pounds of agricultural produce,” Green said.

“We’re going to be spending $293 million on not only putting back that facility into operation but putting in a renewable energy system so that we don’t have the costs associated with storage,” he added.

— JIS