The Government is set to strengthen its support for agriculture in 2024, with a focus on enhancing productivity and increasing the sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Agriculture currently contributes approximately 8.3 per cent to GDP, and the goal is to elevate this figure to nine per cent, according to Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister Floyd Green.

Green outlined the Government’s commitment to the agricultural sector during his address at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority’s (RADA’s) staff devotion on Wednesday, January 3, at the ministry’s Hope Gardens location in St Andrew.

He said, “This financial year, we provided about J$1 billion in production incentives and J$800 million to our farm road programme.”

He further expressed the Government’s advocacy for increased funding, especially for farm roads, with the aim of surpassing the J$1 billion mark in the farmroad programme this year. Additionally, the production incentive program is set to exceed J$1 billion, reflecting the government’s commitment to bolstering the agricultural sector and elevating its contribution to the GDP.

Green emphasised ongoing efforts to enhance irrigation systems, noting that projects in Parnassus in Clarendon and Amity Hall in St. Catherine are slated for completion in 2024. “This year, 2024, our Parnassus and Amity Hall irrigation schemes will come on track. We will finish and commission it this year,” he assured.

Reflecting on the challenges faced by the agricultural sector in 2023, the minister acknowledged the impact of prolonged droughts and severe flooding. Despite these setbacks, he remained optimistic about the sector’s outlook, citing the crafting of critical agricultural programmes and projects that aim to create a more resilient industry capable of managing the uncertainties of climate change.

He declared, “Even though we did see a year of decline, I want us to take heart in the fact that we did well. In 2021, we passed our highest level of production ever when we reached about 700,000 tonnes. In 2022, we surpassed that and went to about 800,000 tonnes, the highest level of production ever.”