Holness wants farming turned into fortune

Arguing that agriculture can become a major engine for jobs, entrepreneurship and wealth, Jamaica’s prime minister, Dr Andrew Holness, says Caribbean leaders must make farming a career young people actually want.

Speaking at the opening of the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture at Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny on Sunday, Holness said the region has a generation of young people armed with education, technology skills and entrepreneurial ambition who could transform the sector.

“We must create the conditions in which they can see farming, agro-processing, and agricultural technology as viable and rewarding careers,” Holness said.

“This means improving access to land, financing, modern equipment, technical training, and reliable markets,” he added.

But Holness said the opportunities go far beyond planting and harvesting. He pointed to logistics, processing, packaging, marketing and distribution as areas where young entrepreneurs can build successful businesses.

“We must move beyond the traditional perception of agriculture as simply an occupation and recognise it as an industry with considerable potential for innovation, enterprise, and wealth creation,” he said.

He pointed to Jamaica’s success in securing the CARICOM Farmer of the Year title for five consecutive stagings, including 2026, as proof of the talent within the region’s farming communities.

Holness said the challenge now is to match that talent with investment, technology and policies that can help agriculture deliver greater prosperity.