Farmers set to benefit from ginger project A $2 million ginger expansion project, part of a programme by the Government to address the ginger rhizome rot, has been implemented in Johnson Mountain, Bowden Pen and Wilmington in St. Thomas. The project is funded by the Eastern Jamaica Agriculture Support Project and is expected to benefit 88 farmers. Pedro Worghs, acting Parish Manager for Rural Agricultural Development Authority, St. Thomas, said the first phase of the project began in June last year when ginger farmers in the Johnson Mountain area were assisted in establishing 2.2 hectares of the crop. Thirty-four farmers have received fertiliser, planting material and assistance with land preparation. Farmers Weekly understands that farmers have so far reaped 8,500 kilograms of ginger valued at $748,000. According to Mr. Worghs, the second phase of the project will begin this month with the cultivation of an additional three hectares of ginger in Bowden Pen, and Wilmington and the planting of 2.2 hectares in Johnson Mountain. Statistics from the Export Division of the Ministry of Agriculture reveals that in 1953 Jamaica exported 2,000 tonnes of dried peeled ginger, while 589 tonnes were exported in 1976. That figure declined to 117 tonnes 10 years later in 1986 and 8.5 tonnes in 1999. Last year about 1.5 tonnes of dried ginger were realised from a projected seven reaped tonnes.
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