Growth & Jobs |More growth projected for the agriculture sector
Published:Tuesday | February 23, 2021 | 12:19 AM
Governor General Sir Patrick Allen has said that further growth is projected for the agriculture sector, following a 1.8 per cent growth in the second quarter of last year.
He said that the expansion in activity was achieved despite the challenges facing the sector, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the changing rainfall and drought patterns due to climate change, which affected demand and supply chains.
“The past year underscored the need to focus on resilience, innovation, and increased adoption of technology for our food security,” he noted.
The governor general was delivering the 2021-22 Throne Speech at Gordon House last week Thursday to mark the opening of Parliament.
He said that the Government continues to put programmes in place to stimulate increased use of local products and encourage investment.
Among these is the provision of a $1-billion COVID-19 Recovery Fund to support the agriculture sector and expansion of the Production Incentive Programme.
The governor general said that the ministry has also actively pursued development of the fisheries subsector through a relief programme valued at $226 million for the provision of critical inputs.