More than 500 farmers in Jamaica have been assisted in planting 1,328 hectares of fruit trees by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority’s (RADA) fruit tree crop project. According to the RADA, which promotes the development of agriculture in Jamaica, this has helped to increase employment in rural communities.

Established in 2000, the project is aimed at planting 1,700 hectares of 14 designated fruit trees, on private and public lands, to provide raw material for the manufacturing of fruit-based products, as well as the provision of fresh fruits for research and export.

“The whole idea behind this project is that, if you have more people planting fruit trees in orchards, you provide employment for the younger people and once the fruits are harvested, you might have investors setting up cottage industries for the processing of these fruits, which will again create more employment,” project co-ordinator, Locksley Waites, told Jamaica Information Service (JIS) News.

The project, which has seen ackee, avocado, breadfruit, and guava trees planted to name a few, has been well received by farmers, but there are still challenges ahead for the growers. One such challenge is acquiring the start-up capital that is required by the RADA, to be a part of the programme, and another is the unreliable or unpredictable rainfall in some areas coupled with lack of irrigation water for the fruit trees.

In order to qualify for the programme a farmer must have extended land tenure; but seedlings, technical advice and fertilizer are provided free of cost by the RADA.

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