Record Domestic Crop Production for Trelawny

#MontegoBay, Jamaica, February 11, 2023 – Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr, says the parish of Trelawny is not only the largest producer of yams in Jamaica but is also second in domestic crops overall, generating nearly 138,000 tons in 2022.

He noted that the crop yield was a record for the parish, second only to St. Elizabeth, and 21,000 tons more than Manchester, which was ranked third in domestic production last year.

Minister Charles Jr, who was speaking at the official launch of the Hague Agricultural and Industrial Show in Falmouth, on February 9, said Trelawny’s farmers must be commended for their consistency and hard work, especially throughout COVID-19, and for making Jamaica one of the biggest exporters of yams in the world.

“For the close-to-12,000 registered farmers in this parish, 76 per cent of your record-breaking numbers last year came from the cultivation of the number-one export product in Jamaica [yam],” Mr. Charles Jr noted.

“Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we urge you to continue to make us proud… continue to make us a major force on the global stage, earning much-needed [foreign exchange] for our country,” he said.

The Minister noted that sweet yam and yellow yam are in high demand on the international market and urged the farmers to bolster their efforts to meet the needs.

He said that the Ministry and Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) are ready to assist.

“We can’t even meet the demand even though we are at our highest numbers currently. Even though yam is 76 per cent of the production in the parish, we have a lot more ways to go. This is our gold… our diamond. We must meet the demand globally because every single country wants what makes Usain Bolt run so fast,” he said.

“This is why the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is focused on our National Yam Strategy, which gives us the drive to put the resources and the support behind the production,” he added.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 80 per cent of agricultural production in Trelawny consists of yams, sold both domestically and internationally in large volumes, fueling the country’s global export dominance with ownership of 22 per cent of the export market.

The FAO also noted that, at a value of $33.4 million, Jamaica was the top exporter of yams globally in 2020, followed by Ghana at $32.4 million and the United States at $27 million. The variety of yams being exported from Jamaica in large quantities are yellow, negro and sweet yam.

Minister Charles Jr, in the meantime, urged residents to come out and support the Hague Agricultural show, which will be held on Ash Wednesday, February 22 at the Hague showground.

“Today, at this launch, we can proclaim that we will see a successful agricultural and livestock show and one that reflects the hard work of our farmers in this area and surrounding parishes,” he said.

“We expect that the farmers will be showing why they are able to do so well in the most challenging times. This is also an event which gives farmers and producers the opportunity to showcase a diverse offering of products and services that are aligned with agriculture. Looking forward to seeing a lot of young people there also,” Minister Charles Jr said.

Contact: Garwin Davis

Release: JIS