St Ann farmers praised for food production

State Minister in the Minister of Agriculture, Franklin Witter, has heaped praise on the farmers in St Ann, for producing more than 89,000 tonnes of domestic crops in 2023, a major achievement in the drive towards attaining food security.

"That's a very large output," said Witter, who was speaking at the recent 10th staging of the St Ann Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show at the Port Rhoades Sports Complex in St Ann. "This represents a contribution of approximately 11.5 per cent of the total domestic production for the year."

In commending the St Ann farmers for their efforts in producing at the levels they have, Witter said his ministry continues to be impressed with the level of Irish potato production, which was quite high, despite adverse weather conditions.

"This kind of impressive production is being seen among several farmers in the parish, who continue to surpass the national average and even the world average in production, despite the issue of climate change challenges facing us at this time," said Witter, who also lauded the team at his ministry for their commitment to improving the quality of life for the farmers across Jamaica.

The St Ann Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show was hosted by the St Ann Association of Branch Societies, Jamaica Agricultural Society, in collaboration with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority. It brought together a mix of farmers, small businesses, and other stakeholders.