Portland coffee farmers get fertilisers, herbicides

COFFEE FARMERS in the Buff Bay Valley area of Portland have received fertilisers and herbicides from the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) to assist in Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts.

Approximately 200 bags of herbicides and the first 150 of 220 bags of fertilisers were handed over on September 11 at the Church of God of Prophecy in Bangor Ridge.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green, who delivered the keynote address at the event, said coffee continues to be an important contributor to the country’s agricultural sector and the needs of the farmers must be addressed.

“We have to ensure that our coffee farmers feel regarded, feel respected; and they know that if there is any difficulty, this ministry will respond,” he noted.

He hailed JACRA for rolling out the Hurricane Beryl relief initiatives early, citing a previous handover of fertilisers to coffee farmers in St Andrew.

Noting that the coffee sector was significantly impacted by the Category 4 hurricane, Green said that stakeholders must ensure that the farmers are assisted in recovering “quickly and better”.

“We appreciate that one of the biggest challenges you have is just the cost of input as you look to rebound, and one of that big cost is fertiliser,” he pointed out.

Green urged those farmers who are not on the list to benefit from the inputs, to ensure that their names are registered, as “everybody will get some support”.

For his part, Wayne Hunter, acting director general of JACRA, expressed gratitude to the “hard-working farmers”, noting that they are integral to the Jamaican agricultural identity.

He noted that it is through their “resilience, dedication and unwavering spirit” that the 60 per cent damage to coffee farms and infrastructure following Beryl has been reduced to 25 per cent.

Hunter also acknowledged the “tireless work” of industry partners and the JACRA team islandwide for the ongoing support during difficult times.

Pointing out that the Buff Bay Valley is a high-producing area for coffee, Hunter gave the assurance that JACRA stands ready to see the farmers through to recovery and is looking to foster continuous growth in the region.