Farmers across several parishes get a much-needed production boost with the help of four tractors donated to Jamaica by the European Union (EU) and valued at J$43.3 million.

The donation has been made under the ‘Jamaican Path from Hills to Ocean’ Project, to increase resilience to climate change of Jamaican ecosystems, and communities from the hills to the ocean.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on October 9, at Kingston Industrial Agencies on Spanish Town Road, Minister of Agriculture Floyd Green said some of the island’s best farmers operate on “some of the most difficult terrain”.

“If you go into our yam belt, and yellow yam is actually our number-one export, you will recognise that the hillsides that our farmers farm on are very challenging terrain. And as such, being able to mechanise, being able to save those hillsides from erosion is critical to the future of Jamaica,” the minister said.

He pointed out that the ministry is focused on agroforestry, looking at good land management practices and conservation practices, and also creating awareness in the beneficiary farming communities about their land management interventions, adding that “all of those things are important and are captured under the project”.

“That is why I am happy that we are enhancing our fleet of tractors and also implements. We recognise that to survive in this modern-day agriculture, mechanisation is the only way. We have to move from just talking about production to productivity,” Green said.

The tractors are expected to provide farmers with increased access to land preparation services at reasonable rates, which will cover the ongoing maintenance of the tractors and replacement after 10 years.

Through the programme, farmers in targeted communities are expected to benefit from enhanced mechanisation, thereby supporting sustainable agricultural practices.

Dr Erja Askola, head of the EU Delegation to Jamaica, noted that the tractors will be serving a “much broader” purpose than ploughing fields, and will help farmers and communities to better adapt to the consequences of climate change and mitigate its impact.

“They will serve the environment, sustainability, economy, the people and they will especially serve to reduce soil erosion and increase the resilience to climate change. This long-standing project has been supporting the Government to tackle these challenges and the Jamaican ecosystems and communities, literally from the Blue Mountains to the Caribbean Sea,” the ambassador said.

The project is jointly funded under the EU Global Climate Change Alliance Plus and Jamaica.

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is the executing agency, with support from two implementing partners, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).