KINGSTON, Jamaica — There has been a four per cent increase in the production of dasheen for the 2019/20 crop year under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries’ Production Incentive Programme.

This was disclosed by Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) director for the eastern zone, Mervyn Green, who said the figure was compared to that of the 2018/19 crop year.

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Green also indicated that for that year a total of $10 million was expended on dasheen production, which included the purchase of 32 motorised sprayers.

The ministry said plans are now in the offing to further increase production by adding more hectares to the existing 21, which is expected to yield roughly 378 tonnes of dasheen for the 2020/21 crop.

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“For the 2020/21 crop, we are spending $15 million and we hope to establish 30 hectares. We also want to spend about $3 million to purchase chemicals to help farmers in production to control the taro leafhopper pest,” he said.

The ministry noted that a total of 230 farmers are involved in dasheen production across the island and are mainly located in the parishes of Trelawny, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Clarendon, Portland and St Elizabeth.

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Under the ministry’s $1.6-billion Production Incentive Programme, which is being implemented by RADA, other crops such as ginger, hot peppers, Irish potatoes, onion, sweet yam, strawberry and cassava are targeted for development. Over 4,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the programme, directly and indirectly, the ministry said.

It added that participating farmers have received technical assistance through RADA through meetings and field demonstrations. RADA has also provided support by distributing planting materials, agricultural chemicals such as insecticides and fungicides, plastic mulch, irrigation and spraying equipment, the agriculture ministry reported.