ST JAMES, Jamaica – The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, has announced significant investments in Trelawny’s agricultural infrastructure, aimed at boosting the sector and supporting local farmers.

Speaking at the 67th staging of the Hague Agricultural and Industrial Show in Trelawny on Ash Wednesday, Green outlined the Government’s plans to invest more than $100 million in the rehabilitation of the Mendez Town farm road in the parish.

This will be done in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) as part of a larger effort to address the farm-road network in the parish.

“When I came to Trelawny, I heard a lot of cries around the farm-road network. We’re going to be spending significant sums in Trelawny over the next financial year to address some of your farm roads,” he said.

He noted that at least four other farm roads in the parish are slated for improvement through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Farm Road Programme.

“So, we are going to continue working with Trelawny and across the country, as this year we’re going for growth. This year, we are determined to ensure that we grow our agricultural sector,” the Minister said.

Highlighting recent support to farmers in the parish, he pointed to the commissioning of a new well in Clarks Town, as well as the purchase of a new water truck, and there are also plans to design a new irrigation system for farmers in the town.

Minister Green said that Trelawny is important to Jamaica’s agriculture, noting that the parish is the third-highest domestic crop producer in the country.

He said that the parish and Manchester and St Elizabeth, account for nearly half of Jamaica’s total agricultural output.

“We all know that Trelawny is known for yam and our (Jamaica’s) number one domestic export is yam. Last year, it is estimated that we crossed a major milestone [where] we would have generated US$40 million from the exportation of yam, and a lot of that came right here from Trelawny,” Green indicated.

“So, we are going to continue to be working with the farmers of Trelawny,” he added.