EU project to boost farmers in Jamaica

Posted by fdixon on August 4, 2010

Farmers in Jamaica are to receive more financial assistance from the European Union (EU) Project CARE and the Cocoa sector Revitalisation project, in order to boost the agricultural industry. Jamaica is among 15 countries set to benefit from this new project funded by the EU.

The announcement was made by Helen Jenkinson, charge` d’ffaires of the EU. She urged the St Mary farmers to organise themselves to benefit.

The agricultural sector, mainly banana and cocoa has been adversely affected due to natural disasters, and changes in international trading policies, particularly in the European Union. This ended a decades-long preferential pricing arrangement with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, and significantly cut the price it paid for sugar and banana from these countries. This situation has now caused an impending threat to the survival of sugar and banana.

Jenkinson urged the government to take action to revitalise the industry now if it is to keep abreast of the global development.

The EU is assisting Jamaica’s banana sector but is the government doing enough to boost the economy with agriculture?

Is the government promoting agriculture enough as a viable opportunity for our young people?