IICA to establish regional agriculture innovation centre in Jamaica

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is to establish a Regional Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Innovation in Jamaica, as part of efforts to strengthen the Caribbean’s capacity to use technology and innovation to transform its food systems.

IICA Director General Dr Ibrahim Muhammad made the announcement during the opening ceremony of the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny on Sunday night.

Ibrahim said the initiative forms part of IICA’s efforts to strengthen regional institutional capacity and improve service delivery to the agricultural sector.

“The establishment of a regional Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Innovation will be located right here in Jamaica, championed by Mr Green,” Ibrahim announced.

He said the centre would be part of a wider roadmap aimed at improving the region’s ability to respond to disasters and recover agricultural production.

“We have been setting up an agri-force responders initiative, which seeks the development of a cadre of regional experts to address emergency disaster response situations, to not only mitigate agricultural losses but to accelerate post-disaster rehabilitation of the agricultural sector,” he told delegates.

Ibrahim said IICA will also support Jamaica with the establishment of climate-smart demonstration plots, strengthening extension services and assisting with the formulation of a national agriculture disaster-risk management plan.

He said the institute is also working on a regional quality-seed programme involving drone technology and a mobile seed-bank mechanism to facilitate rapid deployment of seeds following disasters.

“We also recognise the critical challenge of not only an ageing farming population and the need for youths in business development and entrepreneurship,” he said, stressing the need to build the region’s agricultural capacity and resilience.”

- Albert Ferguson

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