TRELAWNY, Jamaica—The Agri Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform has generated almost $2 billion in sales since its establishment in 2018, Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Executive Director Dr Carey Wallace said Wednesday.

Speaking during a plenary session on “Unlocking private sector partnerships and expanding investments in agriculture and fisheries development” at Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2026 at Ocean Coral Spring Hotel in Trelawny, Wallace said the digital platform was created to bridge the gap between Jamaica’s small farmers and the large-scale purchasing requirements of the tourism industry.

He said ALEX enables farmers to upload information on crops that are ready for market, including prices, while hotel purchasing managers can aggregate supplies from multiple farmers to meet their requirements.

“The hotels don’t want to have to deal with 100 farmers to get that one container load of carrots,” he explained.

The platform, Wallace told delegates, effectively consolidates the output of small farmers, enabling them to access hotel demand for large volumes of produce while meeting requirements for quality and consistency.

Wallace said the initiative forms part of the wider Tourism Linkages Network, which seeks to strengthen connections between hotels and local farmers, manufacturers, agro-processors and other suppliers.

He said tourism presents a significant opportunity for local producers because visitors generally consume more while on holiday than they would at home.

“With tourism comes consumption,” Wallace said, noting that increased visitor consumption translates into greater demand for agriculture, manufacturing and supplies.

He said international hotel brands, particularly those accustomed to operating in developed markets, expect suppliers to meet contractual commitments consistently despite challenges such as drought and delays.

Wallace urged Jamaican farmers to adopt a more competitive mindset.

“I tell my farmers in Jamaica all the time to picture you picking up your farm, migrating to a developed country with it, and then having to compete in that space,” he said.

The TEF also stages speed-networking events that bring hotel purchasing managers together with local suppliers, giving manufacturers, agro-processors and farmers an opportunity to pitch their products directly to the tourism industry.

Wallace said the programme also targets import substitution, encouraging hotels to use local alternatives where Jamaica has the capacity to supply them.

He cited aged Jamaican rum as an example, noting that while it may be unrealistic to replace every imported product, there are opportunities to introduce visitors to high-quality local alternatives.

Initiatives such as the Blue Mountain Coffee Festival, he said, also help to expose visitors to Jamaican products and create opportunities for local producers to increase their supplies to the tourism sector.