Prime Minister Andrew Holness speaking on Friday during a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Trelawny South meeting
June 8, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has encouraged farmers in Trelawny to capitalise on the opportunities in yam farming, positioning it as a viable means of economic development for the parish.
“This business of yam farming—I don’t want you to take it lightly. I have given instructions to the minister of agriculture to develop a programme for yam-farming communities, not just here, but right across the island. There is currently a significant global market for what they call ‘new foods’, ‘functional foods’, or ‘healthy foods’. Yam is a healthy food. Sweet potato, healthy food. Cho-cho, healthy food. We can grow these in the quantities needed for processing—that is where the real value lies,” he said.
Holness was speaking at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) meeting in Trelawny South on Saturday.
He noted that he has directed the Minister of Agriculture, Floyd Green, to establish a processing plant in Jamaica. He said the aim is to introduce new technology to the agricultural sector, enabling the processing of yams and other tubers into products that cater to the growing international demand for healthy foods.
“That is where the major market opportunity is, and that is the direction in which we must take our agricultural sector. Under this government, this parish can expect to see the emergence of a new industry based on crops traditionally grown as primary produce. We will now focus on adding value to them so that you can earn more from your farming efforts,” Holness said.