Jamaica’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is reporting growth of 17.4 per cent for the third quarter of the year, from July to September. Minister Pearnel Charles Jr., in making the disclosure in a release recently, said that the out-turn represents six consecutive quarters of growth since the second quarter of 2021. “Our agriculture sector has been achieving unprecedented numbers since the start of the year, with the third quarter reflecting one of the best-performing quarters on record,” he said.
The Minister noted that recent heavy rains associated with the passage of Tropical Storm Ian in late September did not significantly impact the overall output for the third quarter: “Gross output for the subsector for the third quarter of 2022 amounted to 214,599.2 tons, in comparison to 182,750 tons reaped in the similar period of 2021.”
The Ministry also reported that the domestic crop subsector continues to perform well in response to increased investment and support, based on targeted interventions in productivity and marketing. All major crop groups reflected an increase for the third quarter of 2022. “The most significant increases were observed for plantains at 21.9 per cent; fruits, 20.8 per cent; yams, 19.1 per cent; vegetables, 18.5 per cent; and condiments at 16.9 per cent.
In terms of absolute volumes, the most significant increases were seen for vegetables, 11,522 tons; yams, 8,166 tons; and fruits, 4,449 tons, Minister Charles Jr. said.
Source: jis.gov.jm