AIC gets strong response to call for mango investors

Agro-Investment Corporation, AIC, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, has secured investors for the cultivation of the St Julian and East Indian mangoes across the entire mango agro-park in Toll Gate, Clarendon.

The land, which spans some 1,000 acres, was formerly used to produce sugar cane.

CEO of the Agro-Investment Corporation, Dr Al Powell, said the agency received a total of 55 applications for the leasing of the property of which 49 qualified for the AIC’s requirement to have $20 million to cover the cost of leasing the property, preparing the land for cultivation and put the crops in the ground.

Under the terms offered by state agency, each investor would lease 50 acres of land from the AIC under a 25-year, renewable lease arrangement.

“We could only accept 13 to fill the 950, almost 1,000 acres of land. So we had more than enough applications,” Powell said.

The applications came from a mix of local and foreign investors.

Last year, the ministry announced the allocation of $128 million to develop the land into mango orchards. The funds were used for road and water infrastructure for the orchard and the construction of a hot-water treatment plant.

Powell says all investors have received their signed leased agreement. Meanwhile, irrigation systems are now being completed to facilitate production for the first six investors who are soon to be supplied with seedlings for planting.

Those investors were recently facilitated on a trip to the Dominican Republic for greater exposure to mango production.

“They came back about two and a half weeks ago. It’s training that was needed to drive up production in a commercial way. Some have already started ploughing the lands,” Powell said.

Irrigation infrastructure and training for the other investors are being done under a phased process.

“I believe the seedlings for the first six investors will start going into the ground next month,” he continued.

It takes, on average, three years for the crops to bear fruit. Preliminary estimates by the Agro-Investment Corporation are that investors stand to make $41.25 million in annual revenue.

AIC’s push to increase mango production in Jamaica comes shortly after the resumption of St Julian and East Indian mangoes to the United States and, more recently, the United Kingdom, following a seven-year self-imposed ban. High demand is also coming from Canada.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, some 680,968 kilogrammes of East Indian and St Julian mangoes valued at US$1,546,528 were exported to Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States for the 2021 mango season.

Its represents a 53.3 per cent increase in the volume of mangoes exported over the 2020 period and a 59 per cent increase in foreign earnings for the country.

Jamaica is aiming to hit export numbers of 178,000 kilogrammes to the United States this year, doubling the 89,000 kg in 2021 and quadrupling the 41,000 kg in 2020. The agriculture ministry also anticipates that exports to the United Kingdom and Canada will increase as well in 2022.

karena.bennett@gleanerjm.com