KINGSTON, Jamaica — Thirty-three farmers at the Parnassus Agro-Park have received farm tools and supplies from the Government, valued at approximately $30 million, equipping them to increase production, strengthen their livelihoods, and contribute to Jamaica’s food security.

Among the items are one-acre irrigation systems, fencing materials, seeds, seedlings, crop inputs for one-acre and half-acre plots, and small tools such as mist blowers and sprayers.

The support was provided under phase one of the Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project (SPAD) Matching Grant Scheme, which aims to supply farmers in Clarendon and St Catherine with key agricultural inputs to ensure the success of their enterprises.

Managed by the Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC), the project aims to modernise agriculture, enhance food security, and assist small-scale farmers, including youth and female farmers.

Delivering the keynote address at the official handover of the supplies at the agro- park in Clarendon on February 11, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, said the initiative represents an investment in the country’s food security.

“If you are going to invest a million, we are here to match what you are investing, and this matching grant represents an investment of about $30 million in our agricultural enterprises… our agricultural entrepreneurs.

“We are investing in the farmers so that they can invest in their enterprises, so that we can get the food that we need to ensure that we have a food secure Jamaica. We are not only providing direct support in the form of that $30-million investment in our farmers; we are also focused on training,” he noted.

The SPAD Matching Grant Scheme is a $100-million initiative supported by the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The project also benefits small and medium-sized farmers in Amity Hall and Bridge Pen in St Catherine, providing them with essential resources.

The AIC is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, charged with contributing to a viable and sustainable agricultural sector and socio-economic development by mobilising finance, promoting investment and by providing marketing intelligence, land, infrastructure and support services.

At the Parnassus Agro-Park, farmers are engaged in the cultivation of crops such as hot pepper, sweet pepper, pumpkin, sweet potato, watermelon, callaloo, sweet corn, cucumber, okra, onion, and pak choi.

— JIS