MINISTER of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green is confident that Jamaica will have adequate food supply for Christmas despite recent weather-related disruptions that have impacted the agricultural sector.

“I want to assure the country in general [of this], and I’m going to give a comprehensive statement next week in Parliament,” said Green during the celebration of World Food Day on Wednesday at the ministry’s Hope Complex in St Andrew.

Following a recent strategic meeting with the ministry’s production and productivity team, Green announced targeted interventions, particularly in vegetable production, aimed at boosting local output ahead of the anticipated increased demand during the Christmas season.

“Having gone through Hurricane Melissa last year, having gone through a difficult drought, it is easy for people to be concerned about whether we will have sufficient food,” said Green.

“We have sat as a team and we are going to be ramping up our support, especially across our vegetable lines.

We have to get that out now so that in the next six weeks… when December comes in and we are getting to Christmas…we will have sufficiency of our vegetable lines,” Green added.

He pointed to the poultry sector’s swift recovery as testament to the resilience of Jamaica’s agricultural industry.

According to Green, despite the loss of approximately 700,000 broilers and 400,000 layers during Hurricane Melissa last October, the sector has recovered rapidly, ensuring adequate supplies of chicken and eggs for the Christmas season.

He commended the dedication of local farmers, emphasising that their hard work, coupled with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, has been instrumental in the sector’s strong recovery.