Growth & Jobs | Plentiful Harvest Farms A hydroponic farm investment in Jamaica

PLENTIFUL HARVEST Farms has planted it roots in Jamaica, leveraging the island as an ideal location to invest and set up a hydroponic greenhouse farm to meet the growing demand for high-quality produce within the tourism sector.

The farm, which officially opened in May 2024, produces high-quality lettuce varieties such as romaine, butterhead and green and red oak leaf lettuce. Arugula and basil will soon be added to the line-up of produce, utilising the hydroponic greenhouse method to facilitate year-round production.

Plentiful Harvest operates from an elevated greenhouse equipped with a retractable roofing system and cooling curtain which protect the produce from adverse weather without compromising the climate conditions needed for growth.

The island’s tourism sector consistently records a high level of growth, contributing 11.9 per cent to the gross domestic product in 2023, with 4.1 million visitor arrivals and $4.3 billion in visitor expenditure. With continued growth forecasted for the industry, high-quality agriculture production remains in high demand.

Evan Rees, co-founder of Plentiful Harvest, in sharing his experience working and networking with Jamaican hotel stakeholders said, “All hotels have a need for consistent high-quality produce, particularly during the hot summer months.

“I began to research and visit a number of equipment options in the United States of America and Canada and decided upon the systems we will use locally at Plentiful Harvest,” he continued.

Noting that their endeavour wasn’t without challenges, Rees said he was encouraged to collaborate with the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), the Government’s premier export and investment agency, to help mitigate issues which arose with clearing the land, accessing electricity, and forging business linkages with local buyers.

“I heard of JAMPRO as the gold standard for getting things done for new businesses in Jamaica. Our first major challenge was removing ...boulders on the land, which were at a great expense to us. While we have not sold the boulders yet, JAMPRO gave us a very good list of prospective buyers which will assist us in selling in the not-too-distant future,” he disclosed.

Marlene Porter, manager of JAMPRO’s Agribusiness Investment department, which directly facilitated this investment, extended congratulations to the Plentiful Harvest Farm’s team on their successful opening.

“This project will significantly boost our local supply of leafy vegetables, enabling us to meet the growing domestic demand, especially from the hospitality sector, and reduce Jamaica’s reliance on imports. By using cutting-edge hydroponic technology and sustainable practices, this innovative project will also ensure greater consistency and reliability in the quality and supply of these vegetables on the local market,” she stated.

JAMPRO’s Tourism and Linkages department hosts quarterly Business Linkage Forums, which allow business-to-business discussions between suppliers and buyers within the tourism sector. These linkages forge a strategic path to meaningful business connections for Plentiful Harvest Farms with key buyers such as General Foods, RIU Hotels, Moon Palace Jamaica, and several other hotel stakeholders.

Carol Straw, manager for the Tourism and Linkages department, said JAMPRO matches suppliers to buyers strategically. “Once we know your capacity, we match suppliers with the appropriate buyers to ensure mutual satisfaction, and our tourism stakeholders are always searching for local suppliers,” she said.

JAMPRO is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, with responsibility for driving exports and facilitating investment and local linkages.

For more information, contact info@dobusiness-jamaica.com or visit www.dobusinessjamaica.com.