Country Profile

Jamaica, located south of Cuba and west of Haiti is the largest of the English-speaking islands in the Caribbean. Jamaica’s economy is heavily dependent on services, which according to 2017 estimates account for 71% of GDP, and the country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite / alumina. Agriculture on the other hand contributed an estimated 7% to the GDP and employs some 17% of the population. Investment in the sector is being encouraged as a viable option particularly since more traditional investment areas have been affected by the global recession. Leading commodities include sugar, bananas, coffee, cocoa, citrus, pimento, yams, vegetables, poultry and small ruminants (goats).

Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Strategic Plan 2018-2022

Jamaica is strategically positioned to lead in the area of research at every stage of the value chain. It has a wealth of scientific capacity which is straddled across a range of institutions such as; the Scientific Research Council (SRC), University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Technology (UTech) and College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) amongst others, such as the commodity specific Coconut Industry Board (CIB). Through partnerships with each institute/organization, CARDI intends, through its work programme for Jamaica, to advance research interventions for the coconut, root and tuber, small ruminant and marijuana/industrial hemp industries. Traditionally, the majority of research interventions have taken place at the production level however; this iteration of the work programme for 2018 – 2022 will also have a focus on the processing of added value products for identified commodities but more specifically, cassava and coconuts. With respect to research interventions in livestock, work will continue in the area of breed development for small ruminants but with a focus on goat as opposed to sheep. Production models for different scales of small ruminant enterprise will be validated inclusive of technical and financial feasibility studies and similar work will be undertaken for the marijuana/industrial hemp industry.

Download CARDI STRATEGIC PLAN 2018- 2022