With the 2024 Hurricane Beryl episode having seemingly served as an eye-opener for the region, Jamaica, where losses in the agriculture exceeded those of other countries in the region would appear to be in a state of focused preparation to ensure that it does not suffer a repeat of the major losses in the country’s agricultural sector which occurred last year.
News from the CARICOM member country indicates that its Agriculture Minister Floyd Green is calling for an island-wide stepping up of animal feed production, as a means of strengthening the country’s food security bona fides by reducing the country’s reliance on food security-related imports.
Contextually, Green is seeking the creation of public/private sector partnerships in order to strengthen Jamaica’s local food production bona fides by reducing the costs associated with animal feed imports.
A recent Jamaica Observer story discloses that in 2023, Jamaica imported US$11.19-million worth of animal feed preparations from the United States. Further, he noted that the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin) had reported that between January and July 2023, Jamaica’s total import expenditure stood at approximately US$4.44 billion. Green reportedly also alluded to Jamaica’s 2022 feed shortage which he said had severely impacted the country’s pig and poultry sectors, raising concerns over livestock losses and consequential reduced meat supplies.
