'Farmers get REDI'

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) is urging established farmers, or other persons who have a good agriculture or rural tourism business plan, to organise themselves into community groups and take advantage of US$15 million in grant funding available under its Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

The funding is also available to persons who want to invest in critical small-scale public infrastructure projects.

Vincent Thompson, an agriculture specialist with the JSIF, says the REDI programme should be especially attractive to people without collateral but who have a proper understanding of how to run a business.

With the JSIF providing the necessary financial and technical support, as well as helping with marketing, it doesn't get any better for a potential investor, he insists.

In the agriculture and tourism component, US$50,000 is available, while for infrastructure, a maximum of US$200,000 will be provided.

"There is no collateral required, but beneficiary groups will have to contribute 10 per cent of the cash, just to make sure that they have a stake in the business. That 10 per cent is not going to JSIF, it is going back into your same business," Thompson shared at a recent Gleaner Editors' Forum in Manchester.

Not a handout

He explained that the JSIF would work with projects from inception to completion, but it is critical that the groups recognise and accept the projects as theirs and not see the funding as a handout.

People starting from scratch will need to organise themselves into a legally registered cooperative, benevolent or friendly society and register with the Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies. If the group is already registered, then it can go ahead and apply to the JSIF after collecting an application form from its Kingston office at Pawsey Road; from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority offices islandwide; Tourism Product Development Company regional offices; or by downloading the document at www.jsif.com.

For more information on the REDI programme which is being funded by the World Bank, contact the JSIF office by calling 926-6238, 926-7154, by fax at 9263412, or by email at atinfo@jsif.org.

What applicants need to know

The application must be supported by a viable business plan for an idea rooted in agriculture and/or rural tourism which supports income generation and employment creation.

The agricultural projects which qualify for funding under the US$50,000 category include on-farm investment innovations such as greenhouses, breeding-stock improvement and the introduction of new crops and varieties. Improving the infrastructure of public markets, abattoirs, storage sheds, fish-cleaning and filleting facilities and equipment also gets the nod, with technological enhancements to improve productivity - drying equipment and drip irrigation also qualifying.

Projects which seek to provide training in production, marketing, business and financial management, disaster mitigation and recovery also qualify.

Projects qualifying under tourism include those which seek to implement promotional strategies that will improve competitiveness such as developing communication material such as brochures. Infrastructure development of areas such as visitor and information booth centres, museums and public-restroom facilities will also be given consideration. As with agriculture, training in production, marketing, business and financial management and recovery are also included.