JEDP projects bearing fruit

HAYES, Clarendon:

OVER 20 community groups have already benefited from the Jamaica Entrepreneurial Programme (JEDP), and although it is still early days, many persons are boasting that their projects are already bearing fruit.

Evadney Harrison, who partnered with her husband Clifford and three other residents from Perrins in south Manchester, are cultivating peppers. Their project got off the ground in August, and in December, the crop was ready for reaping. Already, the group has harvested some 2,500 pounds of peppers. "We have a ready market for the peppers, which is helping the business, and we are in a position to start repaying the loan," Evadney said.

Just over a quarter of the group, which includes Stephanie and Althea Latchman, is into chicken rearing, and persons are excited about how things have gone so far. Their group started out with 600 birds in late November, and after six weeks, they had chickens weighing between four and six pounds. "The first 300 chickens that we sold weighed over 1,500 pounds, and the meat was sold to restaurants in Mandeville, local shops, and residents in the Windsor Forest community. We are very optimistic about the business, and we are also planning to expand and diversify what we do," Stephanie noted.

Jerome Dallas and his partners of the Refinery Community Council were proud to show off their pigs. Although they were already rearing pigs prior to securing the JEDP loan, it was being done on a small scale. Today, they have expanded the farm and have over 300 pigs and piglets. According to Dallas, "The funds we got pushed us a far way. We were able to introduce high-end technology to medicate and water the pigs through the efforts of one team member who is a graduate of the HEART Trust/NTA. We cannot say thanks enough to Jamalco for the many ways in which the company has assisted us."

Expansion

McLean was also a pig farmer prior to accessing the loan. He encouraged members from Hampton Road to partner with him, and today, they, too, are boasting an expansion of the pens which house 11 pigs, three of which are breeding.

The Mocho Greenhouse continues to produce a variety of crops. Currently, the team is reaping tomatoes, which are weighing as much as two pounds. Just last week, 200 pounds of the vegetable was picked and sold to supermarkets. Another batch will be reaped next Tuesday.

Under the JEDP revolving loan programme, groups of a minimum of five persons and a maximum of 10 may apply for the loan through the C&WJ Cooperative Credit Union for up to a maximum of $500,000 for a specific project. The loans granted must be used strictly for the purpose of establishing a new business or expanding an existing one.

CONTRIBUTED photos

Just last week, 200 pounds of tomatoes were reaped and sold to supermarkets.

The Refinery Community Council was proud to show off its pigs. Although they were already rearing pigs prior to securing the JEDP loan, it was being done on a small scale. Today, they have expanded the farm and have over 300 pigs and piglets.

Photo by Christoppher Serju

Just over a quarter of the groups are into chicken rearing.