Food import bill to decline says Holness

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says billions of investment in agriculture is expected to help cut down the country's massive food import bill. 

“The truth is, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government in its first year created the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. Why? Because we recognise that agriculture requires investment and technology to transform it,” Holness said during the final debate in the General Election Debates, which ended a short while ago at the Creative Production and Training Centre in Kingston.  

“When I listen to Dr Phillips speak, it is as if he just came to the stage. Dr Philips has been there for more than two decades and so these problems have existed for a very long time,” Holness further stated.  

Holness said his administration has managed to reel in big investments from business men, mentioning an agriculture project now underway in Inswood, St Catherine, as an example. He said over 1,000 acres of land have been put into production.

The JLP leader said small farmers are also being reeled into the modern way of doing agriculture. 

“We will replicate this a hundred time over but not just for the big investor. These projects also include small farmers working in conjunction with big capital to deliver significant output,” Holness said, arguing that his administration had a track record of getting things done."

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