The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, through the Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB) is extending support to the island’s small cattle farmers by providing shelter solutions for their animals.

By addressing these challenges, the JDDB aims to create a more sustainable and competitive dairy industry, one that can contribute more effectively to national food security and rural livelihoods. 

This initiative is part of a broader push to strengthen the resilience and productivity of Jamaica’s dairy sector, ensuring that farmers can better safeguard their livestock against harsh weather conditions and improve overall animal welfare.

The provision of shelters is not only about protecting cattle but also about enhancing milk yields and reducing losses that often occur when animals are exposed to stress or inadequate housing. 

With improved infrastructure and targeted support, these farmers are expected to benefit from higher productivity, better market access, and stronger income stability.

The programme reflects the government’s commitment to empowering small-scale farmers, who form the backbone of Jamaica’s dairy production. 

Commenting on the programme, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green emphasises, “There is a drive to ensure that what we call ‘cow comfort’ is taken into account in the design of the modern dairy… to ensure that the cows are [kept] cool. As you would have seen, Tru Juice has followed that model.” 

Continuing, he said, “what the Ministry has been doing through the Jamaica Dairy Development Board is for our smallholder cattle farmers who are less able to follow that model because, as you know, they have their dairy cattle out in the field and they don’t have this sort of infrastructure. So we’ve been doing communal infrastructure.”

While a dairy equipment lease programme is currently in place, one of the challenges farmers face is the lack of access to necessary equipment. Approximately 200 Jersey cattle are to be imported into the island as part of efforts to boost production levels.