KINGSTON,  Jamaica — Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, has announced that the White Paper on the National Youth in Agriculture Policy is expected to be tabled in Parliament within the next two months, as the policy framework is currently being finalised.

“We have already tabled the Green Paper in Parliament, and we expect that, in another two months, we will return with the White Paper, so that every young person can look and see what are the plans that this Government has for youth in agriculture,” Green said.

He was speaking during the recent Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in May Pen, Clarendon.

Meanwhile, Green outlined a series of initiatives that the ministry will be undertaking to support young farmers.

These include the expansion of the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP), which currently provides training for 100 young farmers under the initiative’s Builder component.

Green noted that the programme has consistently attracted more applicants than its target of 100 young farmers, leaving hundreds of interested participants unable to access assistance.

“I know in the past, we’ve had 300… 400, sometimes even 500 applications. I’m happy that we do 100 but it means there are 300 that were interested that we weren’t able to serve,” he said.

“I’ve already started discussions with Minister [of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr] Dana Morris Dixon, and I think it is safe to say that, in the short term… like this year… we can double the RYEEP programme,” Green indicated.

He noted that access to land remains a significant challenge for farmers, including young people who work on family-owned property without formal title, limiting their ability to access financing support.

Against this background, Green announced a partnership with Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Robert Montague, who has responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, to launch an agricultural land-titling programme that will include a special allocation for young farmers.

“We believe that will help us [to address the financial and other] issues and also ensure generational wealth,” he maintained.

Green also announced that the ministry is in discussions with the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) to establish a dedicated youth financing facility aimed at making it easier for young farmers to access the capital needed to start or expand their agricultural enterprises.

He explained that the facility would also provide training through the Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC), while the Government would serve as guarantor for loans extended to young farmers.

—JIS