Farmers in St. Elizabeth Get Assistance from GraceKennedy

• The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has received approximately J$10Mn in irrigation infrastructure support and farming supplies to boost agricultural resilience in Hounslow, St. Elizabeth.
• The donation, which GraceKennedy (GK) Foods handed over at the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) Hounslow pump house on November 1, included J$6.2Mn to purchase a generator and more than J$3Mn of direct support to farmers through the provision of fertilisers, irrigation supplies, and seedlings. This formed part of ongoing public-private partnerships in support of Hurricane Beryl's recovery efforts.
• Portfolio Minister Hon. Floyd Green, who received the donation on behalf of the farming community, indicated that the lack of electricity, following Hurricane Beryl in July, left farmers struggling to restart their operations. Therefore, the new generator will ensure that the NIC Hounslow pump house can remain operational, even in the event of future power outages.
• The agricultural sector plays a crucial role in Jamaica’s economic growth and is a key driver of domestic inflation. Initiatives such as these that support and strengthen the resilience of the framing community not only help to improve productivity in the sector but can lead to lower prices for agricultural goods and consumer prices in general, through more robust supplies of produce and faster recovery and normalization of supplies after an adverse weather event.

(Sources: JIS & NCBCM Research)