Farmers must get into organised groups, says Ministry of Agriculture’s Cole

WESTERN BUREAU:

Courtney Cole, chief technical director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, says farmers must be willing to organise themselves into groups so they can better access the resources they need to thrive in the agriculture sector.

Cole made the observation while addressing Tuesday’s closing ceremony for the Farmers Organisation for Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific’s [FO4ACP] two-day Caribbean closure conference at the Sea Garden Beach Resort in Montego Bay, St James. The event was held to climax the organisation’s initiative since 2020 to strengthen family farming organisations across the region.

“At the ministry, we always encourage our farmers to organise themselves into groups, as this enhances them to unify their voices, share expertise, and provide mutual support. When farmers organise themselves into groups, it becomes significantly easier to provide them with the services that they require to thrive,” said Cole.

“We must acknowledge and reinforce the pivotal role that farmers’ organisations play in enhancing farmers’ opportunities to exercise their rights and gain access to agricultural resources, public services, and markets,” Cole added.

Jamaica has seven recorded farmers’ organisations under the FO4ACP, with 956 members across the country. Approximately US$200,000 ($31 million) has been directly invested in Jamaica’s farmers’ organisations for development of management tools, implementation of innovative productive techniques, and creation of capacity-building initiatives.

EFFORTS PRAISED

Cole also praised the FO4ACP programme, which is funded through the European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, for its promotion of the agriculture sector in the region over the years and its efforts to address the problems faced by women and young people who enter farming.

“The FO4ACP project is undoubtedly fundamental to the sustainability of our various agricultural sectors. This is because it focuses on strengthening the capacity of our regional, national and local farmers’ organisations, which is an essential step if we truly desire to achieve sustainable and inclusive production,” said Cole.

“We are also aware of inequalities which continue to affect rural sectors, especially young people and women, and their autonomy in making life choices. What this tells us is that the problems affecting the sector are not unique to a single country or region, so therefore, we must work together to seek innovative solutions that enable rapid and efficient responses,” Cole continued.

Over the past five years, the FO4ACP initiative has supported over 40 farmers’ organisations in the Caribbean and has invested more than US$1 million to enhance their services, promote innovation, and foster rural transformation.

During the closure conference, which began on Monday, April 28, approximately 80 delegates from 19 countries came together to discuss the results of the FO4ACP’s work across the Caribbean region.