Youth to be Certified in International Food Safety

Participants in the Agro-Investment Corporation’s (Agro-Invest) Youth in Agriculture Programme are set to benefit from local and international food-safety certification. The Programme provides resources and expertise to select young farmers, to aid in the future of farming in Jamaica. There are currently 50 young persons aged 18 to 35 participating.      

Marketing and Communications Manager at Agro-Invest, Alecia Brown-Forbes, says the further focus has been placed on enhancing the offerings of the programme.           

Forbes noted that it was decided to include two additional features; which are local and international food safety certification as well as an increase in the minimum amount of land that is usually leased, to the youth to five acres. She however noted that if the potential to invest in more than five acres, then youth can get multiples of five-acre plots to lease under the programme.        

In addition to the added benefit of food safety certification, youth will be taught the fundamentals of handling, preparing, and storing their produce to meet established standards. Persons applying to the programme must be able to outline their finances to apply.  

“When persons connect with us through our website or on social media, for example, or they call us, we want to remind them that the application forms are available for download on the website. What they have to do is fill out an application form as well as we ask them to fill out a business proposal form,” she said.        

Forbes noted that the form outlines their access to the market, and will give information on whether they have any knowledge of agriculture at all. She says this will also give the shareholders an idea as to how they will conduct their business in general, as farming is a business. Forbes notes this provides basic information that can be used in the selection process.                 

The business proposal form, which is a required document for the application process market access details and is available on the Agro-Invest website at agroinvest.gov.jm. Persons can visit the Agro-invest on Facebook at Agro-investJa or call 876-923-0086.