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By Sean Williams 

Ieisha ‘Pally’ Reid is an intriguing anomaly.

In one version of herself, she fits the profile of a refined woman—graceful, mild-mannered, fashionable and polite. However, at the snap of a finger, she could transform into the classic tomboy image—unafraid to tie her hair up, peel back those sleeves, and for good measure, challenge the men in a game of rough-and-tumble football. 

Reid, 29, is an enigma of sorts who plays by her own rules, so when she informed friends and relatives a few years ago that she was going to dive into livestock farming, few eyebrows were raised. 

For those who know her well, the former footballer has an established reputation for getting a kick out of a challenge, irrespective of the enormity of the beast. 

Reid’s bold confidence and soaring spirit betray her 4ft 11-inch frame, but therein lies a giant of a woman determined to make her mark in a world where men have a stranglehold. 

So, taking on the complex, ultra-competitive and demanding pig-rearing business is in keeping with the true nature of the Middleton, St Thomas, native. 

For her, the journey into this male-dominated enterprise is not motivated solely by the pursuit of personal success but, crucially, the hope that her story will inspire other young people to take up farming across its vast spread.  

“My advice for young people who want to get involved in farming is that it is fun. However, it is a serious commitment. Also, young people should not be put off by lack of funds, as they can start with two pigs like I did,” Reid shared with Our Today.  

She said that apart from loving a good challenge, she was steered into pig farming, having lived in an environment where the value of hard work was not only encouraged but was taught by example. 

“Yes, I love to prove myself, and I am always willing to match shoulders with the men, but truth be told, part of the inspiration to go into livestock farming came from my love for animals, plus this is also a family tradition, which has provided economic opportunities over the years,” Reid declared.  

Five years may seem a short time in the life of a swine farmer, but for the Morant Bay High School alumna, she had to learn fast in a highly competitive environment where pork is king. Reid knew from the outset that if her small but growing farm was going to be profitable, she had to be on top of her game. 

“Any business can be profitable once the product, the target audience and the correct location are in sync. However, as it relates to livestock production in particular—and the pork industry specifically—it’s a numbers game. Like most businesses, you must consider the size of the production, overhead expenses, for example, feed and medication, which can be the heaviest cost for any livestock farmer,” she reasoned. 

But before one can begin to crunch numbers, a solid foundation must be laid, and she claims to have done that.  

“The key areas of focus for successfully rearing pigs are genetics, consistent breeding cycles, and specific feed for each stage of production. Also important is acquiring new customers and then keeping up with their demand, plus diversifying the product. Also, selecting the right breeders is crucial for achieving the best meat production as it significantly improves the farm’s profit and consistency,” Reid said.  

So far, she is pleased that her farm, located on land near storied Stony Gut, is meeting projected goals, including keeping a dedicated customer base happy. 

“It is competitive, but being consistent with my product quality and availability puts me in a good position in the market space in the parish. I sell to local consumers (individual households), as well as restaurants and to butchers (in the Morant Bay Municipal Market),” Reid explained. 

Broadening the customer base is a key plank of building out the income-generating side of the business, but these efforts, she admits, are being stymied by not owning a vehicle. “There is potential for market expansion inside and outside of the parish, but we are currently hampered by a logistics issue,” Reid lamented.  

Reid, who is also a muralist and whose work is visible in the parish capital of Morant Bay, said the Jamaican government has several assistance programmes for small farmers, and in due course, she plans to explore these possibilities. 

“The government has several platforms to help small farmers in areas of grants, technical support, low-interest loans, skills development, business planning assistance, hurricane recovery, equipment support, to name a few,” she noted.  

Some of this assistance is channelled through entities 4-H Clubs, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Jamaica Pig Farmers’ Association (JPFA), and the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS). 

Reid’s growth as a junior female pig farmer did not just come by self-taught methodology; she has been taking full advantage of parish and national development programmes. “I have been involved in several programmes to aid my development in the agricultural sector, and these stemmed from the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme, Jamaica Youth Business Trust, Gender Equality Business Management and RADA. 

“These institutions were very crucial in my growth as they were not just limited to our work in agriculture, but taught life lessons in public speaking, business management, networking, practical training, money management and general equality, all of which were brought back into my business and day to day life,” Reid stated, as her eyes lit up with pride. 

Still in the dawn of her husbandry career, Reid is creating waves, having bagged two national livestock farming awards after initially dominating the local competition. “I have entered several competitions in the agricultural sector, namely female youth farmer for the parish level and the national level. I won Female Youth Farmer 2024… and Female Youth Farmer 2025, parish level, and further moving to the national level, where I was awarded National Female Youth Farmer 2025. It (winning national titles) had also given me the opportunity and exposure to key industry players as well as other established livestock producers,” she said.

Reid believes Jamaica is yet to realise her full potential as a major agricultural producing nation in the global space, citing greater opportunities to come in upscaling in organic farming and Agri-processing. 

“On a larger scale, livestock farming and agriculture as a whole is the way forward for the country. Jamaica is blessed with all she needs to produce and all we need with regard to food security. I would also love to see more Jamaican Agri-processed items being consumed locally and exported internationally,” she argued. 

With the agriculture sector taking a big hit with the passing of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday, October 28, Reid expressed solidarity with her impacted colleague farmers while counting her blessings that she and other livestock farmers in her area were spared the worst. “Melissa did our nation really bad, and I’m saddened by the losses I’ve been hearing from other farmers across the sector. But I am thankful that only a small number of my animals were lost and there was minimal structural damage to my farm,” she concluded.