Hon J.C. Hutchinson (centre), Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, converses with (from left), Dr. Gillian Smith, Acting Food and Agriculture Organisation Representative in Jamaica, Belize and The Bahamas; and Kenneth King, President of the Small Ruminants Association of Jamaica, at the 21st Annual General Meeting of the association held at Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, on May 5.
Minister Hutchinson calls for large-scale investment in small ruminant production
Noting that of the 3.27 million kg of goat and sheep meat consumed in 2016 only 30% was supplied locally, the Hon J. C. Hutchinson, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, is calling for more large-scale investment in the small ruminant sub-sector, which has a significant opportunity for growth for primary and value-added products. “By and large, small ruminant farmers have been primarily small farmers rearing between 100 and 500 animals and many even below that,” said Minister Hutchinson. This, he said, limits the scope of production. The...
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