Jamaica to launch crop restoration and expansion programme for cocoa and coffee farmers

The government of Jamaica is taking steps toward a dedicated programme for crop restoration and expansion, focusing on the farmers involved in the cultivation of cocoa and coffee. The information on the programme was shared by Floyd Green, the Portfolio Minister, on Tuesday, 01 October.

The crop restoration and expansion programme is led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining of Jamaica. The update was disclosed by Floyd Green on the occasion of the International Coffee and National Cocoa Day.

The event was organised at Emancipation Park in St Andrew, where the minister addressed the gathering on the relevant vision of his government while representing Jamaica. The agenda of the gathering was to discuss the agriculture of cocoa and coffee along with the celebration of the day.

While talking about the crop restoration and expansion programme, Minister Floyd Green stated the impact of this step on the agriculture of Jamaica. The programme is expected to bring positive changes for the farmers, he said, “We are going to be working with our farmers to innovate.”

Minister Green mentioned, “What we have recognised is that we need more of our farmers to do intercropping, to look at agroforestry, to look at other short-term cash crops that can bolster their earnings with what they are getting from cocoa and coffee.”

Under the initiative, the farmers who grow cocoa and coffee will be provided with the necessary support like seeds and other facilities. This will help in not just motivating the farmers to grow coffee and cocoa but also help in their economic betterment.

It is understood that the farmers under the crop restoration and expansion programme will also be helped with new ways of cultivation to overcome the impact of climate change. The training will be provided to understand the demand of the market and stakeholders and implement relevant practices.

Floyd Green said, “We are going to be focusing more on training our coffee and cocoa farmers through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority for best practices, climate adaptation strategies, and pest management.”

The minister said the government of Jamaica is prepared to help the farmers with all kinds of support, including fertilisers, chemicals, labour issues, and technological advancement. The officials are promising to stand with farmers throughout the process under the crop restoration and expansion programme.

Minister added to his words, “We are going to provide more fertilisers and chemicals. We are going to see how we can use the technology to treat labour issues. Agriculture is not guesswork, but it is a science, and we are going to be working to treat with that.”

It is said that the Jamaican government will also provide land security to the farmers coming under the crop restoration and expansion programme. The drive-through will be undertaken by the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority.

The letter of possession and tenureship will be prepared for farmers, especially for those who are using government land to grow cocoa and coffee. Green highlighted that the government had been planning on this for a long time and is now taking steps to add more value to the sector to get better returns.

Minister Floyd Green also mentioned in his words that technology will play a major part in the crop restoration and expansion programme. With the use of modern techniques, the farmers will also benefit, and the origin and quality of cocoa and coffee will be more traceable.

In the way of the programme, the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority collaborated with Verified and True. This partnership came with the Verified True Platform, which is dedicated to promoting agricultural commodities along with end-to-end traceability of the product.

Minister Floyd said, “We have already entered into a partnership using blockchain technologies to be able to trace from the farm, the actual farmer, to the coffee itself, so wherever in the world you are, you can scan a code, and you can tell that this is authentic Blue Mountain coffee.”

He added, “But more than that, it will allow us to tell the story of our coffee and the story of our cocoa. We are going to continue to build that out.” He also stated that the programme will follow the directives of the European Union on coffee and cocoa plantations and will also use sustainable practices.

Floyd said, “It is also important to ensure that we are complying with the European Union’s directives in relation to ensuring that you are planting coffee and cocoa in a sustainable fashion. In order to do that, we have to track how the coffee and cocoa is planted. It also goes all other commodities.”

Chris Reckord, the Chief Technology Officer for Verified and True, also shared his words on the use of technology to mark the authenticity of a product. He said, “The future is where consumers can ensure that they are purchasing authentic products by instantly verifying the origins of the high-quality cocoa and coffee of Jamaica.”

While sharing the points related to the crop restoration and expansion programme of Jamaica, Minister Floyd Green also highlighted the importance of fair market prices for the crops. He talked about the importance of farmers in running the sector and economy, and without them, there would be no industry.

Green said, “If the farmers are not getting a fair price for their coffee and cocoa, they will pull out of the sector. If they do so, we won’t have anything to celebrate. We have to ensure that fairness underpins in everything that we do.”

He continued, “Our farmers must get a fair price for their coffee and cocoa. If they are getting a price that they cannot take care of their families or cannot be invested back in the process, they are going to leave the sector.”

It is mentioned that the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority will be exploring the market to decide on a fair price for farmers. After a thoughtful study, the decided price will be disclosed officially and shared with the farmers under the crop restoration and expansion programme.