Agro-parks boosting exports in Jamaica



Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Floyd Green indicates that the island's nine agro parks has made the country self-sufficient in many sectors and has also boosted exports.

Currently, there are nine Agro Parks run in association with private investors.

Products grown include onion, escallion, pepper, assorted fruits and vegetables, yam, ginger, hay, sorghum and other crops at Plantain Garden River in St. Thomas, Amity Hall in St. Catherine, and Ebony Park in Clarendon.

Other agro parks are located at Yallahs in St. Thomas; Hill Run in St Catherine; Ebony Park in Clarendon and New Forest/Duff House on the border of Manchester and St. Elizabeth where the main crops being cultivated are condiments, tubers, fruits and vegetables. Two other parks at Meylersfield in Westmoreland and Etingdon in Trelawny .


Crops produced on each Agro park today vary, but the main categories of crops being produced include vegetables, condiments, roots and tubers, spices, and tree crops.

The Ministry of Agriculture indicates that many farmers/investors produce based on market contracts with organized buyers, however many move produce through traditional intermediaries (higglers) and other middlemen.

Minister Floyd Green told the Jamaica Observer that although a large proportion of these products enter the local and tourism markets, and a significant proportion does go into the export markets, for example, peppers and escallion are sold to agro-processors for the manufacturing and export of sauce exports.


“We have eight exporters that are tenants at our 188 Spanish Town Road property that we work with.”

The parks also continue to contribute to food security. Minister Green stated, “ Generally, the country has reached self-sufficiency in some crops, thus there is no need for imports. Many vegetables and tubers for which Jamaica has reached essential self-sufficiency are grown on the Agro Parks.”

The Government-owned Agro Park model is a Public Private Partnership where the Government leases lands to farmers/investors with the infrastructure necessary for production while providing market linkages, food safety programmes and technical support, both on and off the parks.

The farmers/investors therefore, are required to fund their individual operations and generally operate profitable agri-businesses ventures. Generally, onion, irish potatoes form part of the import satisfaction regime.

Implemented nine years ago, agro parks were aimed at modernizing Jamaica’s agricultural sector; contributing to reducing the island’s almost US$1 billion food import bill; while increasing exports and creating jobs.

They were projected to realize foreign exchange savings of some $4 billion annually, and provide employment for about 5,000 persons.




Caribbean Money Daily

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