MEDIA RELEASE
FOOD FOR THE POOR & EUROPEAN UNION
BANANA SUPPORT PROGRAMME LAUNCH SMALL FARMERS PROJECT
Somerset, St.
Thomas – (June 21, 2012): Food For The Poor (FFP) in collaboration with the European Union Banana
Support Programme (EUBSP) today launched the Economic Diversification
Programme For Banana Producing Parishes, which seeks to provide
alternative income-generating opportunities for small farmers, who
traditionally cultivated bananas.
The Launch
took place at the Church of God of Prophesy, Somerset, St. Thomas. The
Programme has a sixteen-month duration, and will provide forty small farmers in the traditional banana
producing areas of Somerset, St. Thomas and Esher, St. Mary, with the
materials, training and technical support necessary to engage in sustainable
production of scotch bonnet peppers, goats and bees/honey. Most of the farmers participating in the
project occupy holdings, which are between 0.4 hectares to 2.4 hectares.
 |
| (From left) Jesus Orus Baguena, Head of Operations, European Union Delegation; Andrew Mahfood, Chairman, Food For The Poor, and Caswell Glover, RADA Parish Manager, St. Thomas examine and discuss fruits and vegetables grown by the farmers of Somerset, St. Thomas. The occasion was the Launch of the Economic Diversification Programme For Banana Producing Parishes, on Thursday, June 21 at the Church of God of Prophesy, Somerset. The Programmeseeks to provide alternative income-generating opportunities for small farmers, who traditionally cultivated bananas. It is being financed by the European Union through the EU Banana Support Programme, and implemented by Food For The Poor. |
The Programme
is being financed by the European Union through the EUBSP, and implemented by Food For The Poor. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has the
oversight for the Programme, while the Rural Agricultural Development Authority
(RADA) assists with the implementation.
Delivering
Remarks at the Launch, Andrew Mahfood, Chairman, Food For The Poor, announced
that his charity started the Project, with the aim of assisting small banana
farmers who are suffering from “a dramatic downturn in the volume of production and exports of bananas,
due mainly to falling prices on the world market, the non-competitiveness of
Jamaica’s banana exports on the European market and the negative effects of
natural disasters.”
 |
| Orville Wright (at the microphone) and other beneficiary farmers engaged in the Economic Diversification Programme For Banana Producing Parishes, stand to show their appreciation to Food For The Poor and the European Union, for their support in introducing them to alternative income-generating opportunities. The event was the Launch of the Programme on Thursday in Somerset, St. Thomas. These small farmers were traditional cultivators of banana in Somerset, St. Thomas and Esher, St. Mary. The Economic Diversification Programme For Banana Producing Parishes is being implemented by Food For The Poor and financed by the European Union through its Banana Support Programme (EUBSP). |
Mr. Mahfood
outlined some features of the Programme, “Through the imparting of knowledge and skills by our
Agriculturalists and the RADA Extension officers, this Programme is creating a
springboard for small farmers to benefit from new income-generating
opportunities and increased profitability. This is consistent with FFP’s
philosophy of encouraging sustainable development projects.”
He also
disclosed that FFP is providing small farmers with guidelines on
post-harvesting and marketing of farm produce as well as assisting them with
the establishment of Farmers’ Associations.
The FFP
Chairman encouraged the recipient farmers and farmers’ islandwide to be focused
and persistent in identifying and successfully pursuing market opportunities on
the local and international scenes. “I challenge our farmers and all
Jamaicans to get on and stay on the path of increasing productivity and
remaining internationally competitive, by maximizing the opportunities, which
are available to you,” stated Mr. Mahfood. “When you find a niche where your
goods and services are needed, research, work and create ways in which you can
be bold and different.”
Agriculture
Minister Hon. Roger Clarke who was the Keynote Speaker, commended the Economic Diversification
Programme For Banana Producing Parishes, as a timely initiative. He
said it comes at a time when the Ministry is engaging in renewed efforts to
encourage farmers to return to increased agricultural production. The
Agricultural Minister stated that the introduction of new agricultural
opportunities through the EUBSP and FFP partnership will “create new life in
these rural communities and encourage rural development.”
Minister Clarke mentioned that goat rearing was particularly welcomed
at this time, as Jamaica “is only producing 14% of the needs of the island’s
goat-meat consumer market.” He urged the beneficiary farmers to play an active
part in helping to fill the needs of the goat-meat sector.
Mr. Clarke also announced that through a public-private partnership
programme his Ministry will be re-engaging banana farmers to “return idle
fields into production, while at the same time satisfying the demand of
agro-processors and consumers.”
In addressing
participants at the Launch, Jesus Orus Baguena, Head of Operations, European
Union Delegation, expressed his organization’s commitment to the Economic Diversification Programme For Banana
Producing Parishes. He urged farmers to see the Programme as an ideal way of “engaging in
a paradigm shift”, while repositioning the small farming sector. He says the
Programme is a great chance for learning opportunities and new access to markets
for the farmers.
Another
Speaker, Caswell
Glover, RADA Parish Manager, St. Thomas, encouraged farmers to take the
production process to another level, by “exploring value-added
opportunities”. He recommended that
agro-processing, utilising the scotch bonnet peppers and honey for a variety of
products including pepper sauces, jerk seasoning and honey cakes, could
significantly increase the profitability of the beneficiaries.
Recipient
farmers from both Esher and Somerset were in attendance at the Launch. Speaking
on behalf of the recipient farmers, Orville Wright of Somerset, expressed
appreciation to the EU, FFP and RADA. He pointed out that the Programme has not
only generated income for them, but has greatly improved their knowledge and
skills levels. “I want to let you know how much we all appreciate it,” declared
an emotional Mr. Wright, as tears of joy streamed down his face.
He said even
the wider community is benefiting from the training sessions for the farmers:
“The wider community turn up at the training sessions to learn something and to
demonstrate their support for the Programme.”
Pierre Dawson,
Rural Development Officer, EUBSP, also participated in Thursday’s Launch.
Speaking in an interview, Mr. Dawson endorsed the Economic Diversification
Programme For Banana Producing Parishes, describing it as a welcome
project in generating alternative livelihood for farmers, especially those who
were affected by the closure of the Eastern Banana Boxing Plant. He believes
the Programme has “already started to do a good job in introducing new
technologies, agronomic practices and skills-sets to the beneficiaries.”
Mr. Dawson
indicated that the Programme has “attracted ‘buy-in’ from the farmers and
targeted communities”, and this feedback is an important factor in ensuring the
sustainability of the production of the new crops and livestock, even after the
Project comes to an end.
Among other
participants at today’s launch were representatives of the Social Development
Commission who are stakeholders in the agricultural Programme, Charles Stewart,
who brought greetings on behalf of Member of Parliament for Western St. Thomas
James Robertson; and Mayor of Morant Bay Her Worship Councillor Marsha Francis.
Contacts:
Erica James-King|Communication Manager | PROComm l
(876) 564-5277 or (876) 926-6740
Petri-Ann Henry | Public
Relations Officer: (876) 564-2886 | petri-annh@foodforthepoorja.org
Public Relations Dept. (876)
907-3664
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