SEVENTY-TWO HOT pepper farmers took part in the recently concluded Agricultural and Insurance Product Capacity Training Series, part of the ‘Improving Phytosanitary, Food Safety, and Market Access Opportunities Along the Hot Pepper Value Chain in Jamaica’ project.
The training series, led by the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), ran from June 11 to July 30 and engaged farmers from St Ann, St Mary, St Catherine, Clarendon, and St Elizabeth.
Fifteen sessions focusing on entrepreneurial mindset, strategic planning, financial management, and business registration were included in the series.
Training facilitator at the JBDC, Kareem Bent, noted at the end of the St Ann sessions that the sessions were a learning experience for participants and facilitators alike.
“These five weeks with the hot pepper value chain project have been very captivating. We would have learned a lot from the participants and the participants would have learned a lot from us as we always pride ourselves on providing this rich interactive way of presenting business training to our participants,” he said.
Bent further encouraged participants to continue to build their new knowledge as they advance in their field.
“We want them [participants] to know that learning is continuous and whatever it is that we are sharing with them is practical and applicable to their kind of business,” he added.
Project Manager, ‘Improving Phytosanitary, Food Safety, and Market Access Opportunities Along the Hot Pepper Value Chain in Jamaica’ project, Sanniel Wilson-Graham, pointed out that to stay true to the value-chain approach of the project, focus was placed on assisting farmers to build their capacity to manage money earned from their crop.
“Also, to ensure that whatever insurance product exists, that you are also mindful of what you need to be doing now, every day on the farm, to be able to meet some of the financial products available,” she said.
The ‘Improving Phytosanitary, Food Safety, and Market Access Opportunities Along the Hot Pepper Value Chain in Jamaica’ project is funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with the Bureau of Standards, Jamaica, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Source: Gleaner – https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20240910/growth-jobs-hot-pepper-farmers-take-part-training-series
