EU funded program helping revitalise Jamaica's banana industry
The Jamaica Banana Accompanying Measures (JBAM) Programme, being implemented by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), aims to spur increased production and other key outcomes, following recent fallouts caused by hurricanes and tropical storms, among other weather-related events.
Its implementation commenced in 2012 following the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav in 2008, which ravaged thousands of acres of banana, resulting in farmers incurring billions of dollars in losses, and industry activities scaling down over the ensuing three years.
Agricultural Attaché with the EU Delegation in Jamaica, Stefano Cillí, tells JIS News that the JBAM allocation is part of approximately $6.7 billion (€50 million) in overall funding support extended to the industry over the last 10 years.
He indicates that the JBAM allocation has been funding stakeholder activities aimed at boosting the industry’s operations to world-class standards.
source: jis.gov.jm
