The Agro-Investment Corporation is inviting investors to take up farming opportunities at its Plantain Garden River and Spring Plains agro-parks in St Thomas and Clarendon respectively.

At the Spring Plain agro-park, Agro-Invest is offering for lease a five-acre irrigated farm lot that is described as being suitable for the cultivation of cash crops and tubers.

“This five-acre farm lot at our Spring Plain Agro-Park in Clarendon represents a unique opportunity to invest in a selection of tubers, vegetables and condiments such as sweet potato, hot peppers, onions, and tomatoes and reap the benefits of a well connected and supported agri-business community,” CEO Vivion Scully outlined.

He underscored the agency’s commitment to supporting its “investors every step of the way to ensure success in their agricultural ventures”. As such, it will assist them with the application process and will guide them with financial instructions with regards to ascertaining loan and grant funding.

Moreover, Agro-Invest will help farmers and investors provides with land preparation to ensuring that the lots are ready for planting and realise maximum crop yields. Thereafter, it will foster linkages to local and international markets as well as providing business planning and counselling services with technical advice.

The same support services will be available at the Spring Plains agro-park in the same parish. However, the agency has offered to lease three parcels of land ranging between two and seven acres.

“Three farm lots are now available at our Plantain Garden River Agro Park, and the investment opportunities exists for cultivation of condiments such as turmeric and ginger under the JA Spices Project sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which will support Jamaica’s goal of revitalising the spice sector to meet existing export and domestic demand,” Scully shared.

“Also opportunities exist to cultivate root tubers such as cassava where contractual agreements with Red Stripe is a huge possibility and sweet potato that is a major staple within the Jamaican cuisine and part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s New FACE of Food initiative to bolster food security. The ministry has already begun its incentive sweet potato programme focused on support for farmers as it relates to nutrition and crop care as well as the provision of high-quality planting materials,” he added.

Agro-Invest has invited interested individuals to submit their applications online ahead of the deadline this month.