Gov’t providing lands for young farmers

The Government is on a drive to provide farmlands to young Jamaicans as part of efforts to encourage them to engage in farming, and also to put unused lands into food production.

To make this happen, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has reserved 20 per cent of government-owned lands for youth farmers. Additionally, 20 per cent of the ministry’s allocation have also been reserved for youth.

The move is part of efforts to encourage more young Jamaicans to see the sector as a viable career option. The initiative also aims to deliver growth to the farming sector, thereby ensuring food security for the nation.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Floyd Green said the approach aims to engage more young Jamaicans in the business of agriculture.

“We have said the new face of food is youth, and we want to incorporate more young people in agriculture, and as such, we have been going about taking a dedicated approach to get more young people involved. One of the big barriers that youth have is access to land, and as such, we have said to the ministry’s agencies to ensure that 20 per cent of the land available be provided to our youth,” he noted.

The minister informed that a total of 102 young Jamaicans have applied to access land across the various agro-parks and agro economic zones, following recent advertisements.

Agro-parks and agro economic zones are being strategically implemented across Jamaica to facilitate the promotion of public-private partnership investments, promote efficiency in resource allocation and utilisation, improved economies of scale, improved market access, promote and encourage sustainability, create long-term and seasonal employment, and create focal points for agricultural development.

PROCESS STARTED

“I am happy to announce that the 4-H clubs and the Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC) have already started this process and, in fact, have put out advertisements for young people who are interested in getting involved in agriculture to access land across our various agro parks and our various agro economic zones. I am very happy about that,” he said.

Green said the interview process will commence soon.

“They have applied for land in Plantain Garden River, St Thomas; Ebony Park, Clarendon; Spring Plain, Clarendon; Amity Hall, St Catherine. Some have applied for land in Nonsuch, and New Pen in St Mary; Lennox, Portland; Holland, St Elizabeth; and Shewsbury in Westmoreland.

“I really want to commend all of those young people for applying, and I’m ensuring that the Government is going to work with you to see this interest being formulated and concretised into an agricultural enterprise,” Green said.

Meanwhile, Al Powell, chief executive officer, AIC, explained that of the 102 applications received, approximately 40 individuals will be selected to access lands at the agro-parks and production zones.

He said this new cohort will join a group of 50 currently occupying land at the facilities.

“The average age of a farmer is about 49, so if we don’t put youth in agriculture, you’re going to have people just moving away from agriculture. It’s like succession planning in an organisation where you have somebody to take over, so we are putting youth in agriculture to take over,” he said.

The programme seeks to attract committed youth who are interested in agribusiness as an entrepreneurial venture.

The initiative, which targets youth 18 to 35 years, includes business planning and business counselling services, five-acre plots and multiples of five-acre plots suitable for crop production, access to irrigated and non-irrigated land, market linkage to local and international markets, technical advice and support, clustering and capacity building, among other things.

In a recent interview, Executive Director of Jamaica 4-H Clubs Dr Ronald Blake said the move will help more youth to enter the agriculture sector.

“Lands for youth in agriculture is one of the significant things you can do for young people in agriculture today. The last major consultation we did with youth across Jamaica indicated that land, attractable financing, marketing, and technology were the key challenges that some young people saw as barriers to enter the sector,” he stated

He said the agency is working with the AIC and similar entities to ensure youth farmers get access to land.