The Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries wants to hire a consultant or firm to set up a cold storage facility as a pilot test case for reducing losses of fruits and vegetables on small farms.
In a statement, the Ministry said: “The financial losses of small Jamaican farmers will continue to increase without adequate mitigation and prevention methods. Therefore, the development of a reliable and efficient cold chain will not only reduce crop losses, but this also means that farmers are not forced to sell harvest produce immediately if there is a glut and prices are low.”
Last year, the Ministry set aside $157 million to set up cold storage units for farm produce to end wastage in the sector. The move to hire the consultant for the pilot is part of that drive.
Source: jamaica-gleaner.com