Jamaica Tourism Minister introduced that throughout the first 2 months of the 12 months, 490 farmers earned roughly $108 million in income.
This was completed by way of the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform, which was designed to attach small farmers straight with patrons throughout the tourism trade.
Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, additionally famous that on the shut of 2022, produce value over $330 million was bought via the ALEX in 2022, benefiting 1,733 farmers and 671 patrons registered on the platform.
The Minister made this announcement throughout a ‘Coffee Farmers’ Trade Day’ expo on the University of Technology (UTech) in St. Andrew on Tuesday (March 14).
“We have been working on a game-changing technology, by way of ALEX, which is a platform that connects the small farmers directly with the buyers’ hotels… That’s a huge development and for the first two months of the year, $108 million was made,” stated Minister Bartlett.
This groundbreaking initiative, a three way partnership between the Ministry of Tourism and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), has reworked the way in which hoteliers and farmers work together, successfully decreasing leakages and guaranteeing that Jamaica retains extra of the financial advantages of tourism. ALEX, the primary on-line platform of its form within the nation, permits farmers to plan higher for seasonality in crops and offers data on the geographic location of particular crops.
The success of the platform was celebrated throughout the latest ‘Coffee Farmers’ Trade Day’ expo, the place farmers from Portland, St. Andrew, and St. Thomas got here collectively to showcase their merchandise.
The occasion was organized by RADA and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), with assist from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
“This Farmers’ Day Expo was organized to bring home the stark reality that the opportunity for you [the farmers] to grow, expand, earn, and be prosperous from tourism is now better than it ever was in the history of tourism in Jamaica,” stated Minister Bartlett.
The occasion kinds a part of the month-long actions for the Blue Mountain Coffee Festival, slated for Saturday, March 25. Tickets for the competition will be bought on-line at www.touchstonelink.com or from approved distributors, together with Blue Brews Bistro, Rituals Coffee House, Starbucks, Cannon Ball Café, Café Blue, Island Coffees Café, and Deaf Can Coffee.
