ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS 1975 - 2000
| 1970's |
1980's |
1990's |
2000's |
1970’s: The Beginning
In 1975 the country became the first English-speaking Caribbean member state of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
Project: Simon Bolivar Fund project “All Sides Pilot Hillside Agricultural Project USAID “Pindars River/Two Meeting Project
1980’s: A Decade of Development
This period ushered in a new Director General, Medium Term Plan (MTP), and new arrangements for more active participation of member countries in influencing the work of the Institute.
Projects:
§ Assistance to the Black River Upper Morass Development Company
§ Upgrade Antillean countries’ ability to provide animal health services (Regional)
§ Establish Information and Alert System including procedures for animal diseases (Regional)
§ Training in plant quarantine services (Regional)
§ Cropping Systems Project
§ Small Enterprise Development Project
§ Support Planning and Management of Rural Development
§ Support in Generation and Transfer of Technology
§ Cassava Production and Development Project
1990’s: Support Services for Research and Extension of Government Agencies
The Office also assisted the public sector to improve its capability to deliver research, extension and rural development services.
Projects:
§ Generation and Transfer of Technology Projects
§ Rural Development Farm Management Project
§ Farm Management Training and Generation of Information
§ Hillside Agriculture Sub-project
§ Small Farmers Hillside Land Use
§ Rio Grande Valley Dasheen Project
§ Morant Yallahs Valley Watershed Project
§ Promote diversification and sustainability in domestic agriculture especially on hillsides
§ Complement MINAG efforts and USAID, through workshops and technical assistance, to reorganize management of agricultural research and extension
§ Improve RADA’s operational capability through advancing operations and project design capabilities
§ Support diversification and export of non-traditional agricultural crops such as papaya and mini-set yams
ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS 2000 ONWARDS
2000’s - Promotion of Rural Development and Agribusiness
For the years 2000 onwards the office focused on four strategic areas of cooperation:
ü Help in preparing for free trade and joining the global market
ü Promote sustainability of hillside farming systems and watershed management
ü Support agri-business micro entrepreneurs
ü Facilitate cooperation and international exchange of technology between Jamaica, the Caribbean and Latin America
Projects:
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PAST PROJECTS
2002-2005
· IICA/JBI/ Recovery of Mined-out Bauxite Soils for Goat Production in Mocho, Clarendon
2003-2005
· IICA/JBI/ Walkerswood Agricultural Support Project
2004-2007
· MOAL/USAID, - Hurricane Ivan Relief Assistance and CIDA; and PADF/Chevron - funded Hurricane Dean Relief Assistance for Agricultural Recovery in Jamaica |
RECENT PROJECTS
2005-2008
· USAID/Partners of the Americas Farmer–to-Farmer Programme
2005-2008
· IICA/OAS Agro Tourism -Strengthening Tourism through Linkages with Agriculture in the Caribbean
2008-2009
· EU Buff Bay Valley Agro tourism project |
ONGOING PROJECTS
2002-Present
· Strengthen Competitive Advantage of Primary Producers, Focusing on Rural Women in Agriculture
2003- Present
· Charles Town Bee Keeping Project
2003- Present
· CFNI/JSIF- Elim Agricultural Support Project |
CURRENT PROJECTS
§ 2011
EU funded Apiculture Project
The overarching goal of the project is to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders in the Apiculture Sector to control and manage the American Foulbrood (AFB) Disease and enhance production. Implementation is in partnership with the All Island Bee Farmers' Association (AIBF), the Jamaica Federation of Commercial Apiculturalists (JFCA) and the Apiculture Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The project ends December 2011. By then it intends to:
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Find and destroy all kept hives which show clinical symptoms of AFB infection.
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Equip the producer organizations (AIBFA & JFCA) to monitor the disease in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries
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Train Bee farmers, in the rural parishes affected by the downturn in the Banana industry, to facilitate capacity building and increase efficiency.
§ 2009-2011
CIDA funded Improving Jamaica’s Agricultural Productivity (IJAP) Project
In December 2008 the Minister of Agriculture, the Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica and the IICA Jamaica Representative signed a letter of intent to commence a three-year project to expand the island's greenhouse production capacity and promote the sustainable management of small-scale marine fisheries through the provision of infrastructure, capacity building and research. The project is funded primarily by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) with additional funds provided by the Government of Jamaica and IICA. The greenhouse component of the project sets out to construct 40 small-scale commercial greenhouses (4000 sq ft each) in two clusters of 18 and 22 farmers in St. Elizabeth and Manchester respectively. Produce from the clusters will be marketed and distributed through a post harvest and packing facility to be established in each cluster. Four research greenhouses were established in partnership with the EU to test the best growing conditions for a range of traditional and non-traditional greenhouse crops. Throughout the life of the project new and existing greenhouse farmers in the participating parishes will benefit from ongoing training. On the fisheries side of the project, six fishing beaches along the island's south coast have been earmarked for rehabilitation. At the end of year one, infrastructural upgrading had commenced at two of the beaches and well over 800 fisherfolk and extension officers had participated in capacity building programmes to strenghten their skill set. Research to identify optimal locations for fish sanctuaries and 1000 breeding shelters for spiny lobsters is in progress.