Agriculture Ministry Gets IDB Boost

THE MINISTRY of Agriculture and Fisheries on Tuesday received vehicles and equipment valued at J$20 million from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) which will play a significant role in enhancing the competitiveness of the local agricultural sector.

The Veterinary Services Division received two Volkswagen Amorak pickups and eight desktop computers, with three Volkswagen Amorak pickups going to the Plant Quarantine/Produce Division and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) getting 15 post-harvest kits to be used in the training of farmers, processors and exporters, in quality assessment and management of fresh produce.

The vehicles which are to be assigned to the Plant Quarantine/Produce Division have been earmarked for mobile fumigation and the canine detection programme, with the Veterinary Division's vehicles to be utilised for surveillance and other field services and the computers to be used for networking of its laboratories and quarantine offices.

US$15-million programme

Tuesday's donation is the latest in a US$15-million, five-year programme being financed by IDB and implemented by Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC), the investment arm of the agriculture ministry. Started in November 2010, it will be executed in three components with the aim of developing farm-to-market linkages, developing a food-safety management system and an agro-processing value-chain development.

Designed with the overall aim of making Jamaican farmers and agro-processors globally competitive, it will include a public education campaign to raise public awareness about food safety, as well as animal and health issues, which are in fact critical to public health.

Everton Spencer, chief executive officer of the AIC, told the handover ceremony, held at the Agro-Export Centre, 188 Spanish Town Road, Kingston, that the vision for the Agricultural Competitiveness Programme is to have an integrated, efficient and sustained agricultural health and food-safety system which meets international standards and has active stakeholder participation.

He explained: "This will be achieved through the development of competitive agro-business value chains, institutional strengthening of the Agro-Invest, and establishment of a value chain innovation facility."

Spencer said the dynamic global trade

environment dictates that only countries which can successfully manage the challenges and risks, capitalise on inherent advantages, and innovate, will become and remain competitive.

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