Agriculture Minister, Roger Clarke, tends a young ackee plant on the Cambridge Farm in St. James on Tuesday when he visited tree crop project sites and met with ackee and breadfruit growers in St. James, Westmoreland and Hanover. AGRICULTURE MINISTER, Roger Clarke, has described the response from farmers to the Fruit Tree Crop Project as "tremendous".
The Minister pointed out that the aim of the project was to get some 800 hectares (2,000 acres) under production within the first two years of implementation. The project got off the ground nine months ago.
Mr. Clarke noted that $25 million had been allocated in the 2000/01 budget for the project; and $100 million would be dedicated from the PL480 agreement with the United States.
The agreement which was signed on August 4 provides loan financing to purchase approximately 24,000 metric tons of rice from the US at market price for sale in Jamaica. Some $100 million from the sale would be used to help fund the project.
Speaking in Lethe, Hanover following a tour of some participating farms on August 29, Mr. Clarke said farmers with two hectares or more land would be assisted to grow selected fruit crops.
"We already have some 100 hectares (250 acres) under production, and applications have been approved for another 600 hectares (1,500 acres)," Minister Clarke said.
He pointed out that ackee and breadfruit were the popular crops being planted.
Mr. Clarke said there were markets available, both locally and overseas, for almost all the fruits grown in Jamaica, adding that with the volume expected from the large scale farming of the fruits, there was potential for the development of the agro-processing industry.
He explained that the project would focus on assisting farmers who have taken the initiative and had already gone into production on their own.
The assistance to be given include land preparation and the provision of seedlings and extension services.
Co-ordinator for the Fruit Tree Crop Project, Claudette Bernard, was quoted by the JIS as saying about 14 different types of fruit trees were being considered under the project.
"The project is trying to provide raw material for agro-processors, so that we can supply both the local and export markets over a much longer period with many of these crops," she said.º
Contributed
