December 2016 | Business View Caribbean

78 79 competitive. So, there are incentive schemes that are very encouraging to investors coming in. For instance,we had a free-zone structure which has just been superseded by the ‘special economic zones,’which will have designated areas where certain incentives are provided for inves- tors who move into a zone where there is no duty paid.And we’re going to expand these throughout the island,where appropriate, to encourage inves- tors to go in there and conduct business.” BVM: Does the Ministry invest resources in marketing or disseminating information to indi- viduals and businesses? SAMUDA: “That is primarily the role of JAM- PRO (part of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation). JAMPRO is the one that mar- kets the Jamaican product, which includes busi- ness opportunities. But we do have publications and we hold seminars and we hold trade shows to showcase what we do produce.” BVM: Are there any sustainable, or so-called ‘green’ initiatives that come under the purview of your Ministry? SAMUDA: We have embarked on an active program for organic farming. And that is pursued, primarily, through the greenhouse con- cept of aquaponics.We’re trying to increase that because the demand for it is growing, especially where you don’t apply any fertilizers and chemi- cals. It hasn’t gotten to the level where we have MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY - JAMAICA reached any standard where we can now start to promote a massive export program based on organic farmers’ produce, but we certainly will be moving in that direction and we’re trying to en- courage everyone to do that kind of agriculture.” BVM: What are your goals for the next year, or even for the next several years, and what chal- lenges are there to overcome? SAMUDA: “We’re trying to train our farm- ers in agricultural techniques; how to improve production; how to expand output; how to be consistent; how to engage in appropriate farm- ing practices that will protect our final products against anything that would have them rejected when we export them or be resisted domesti- cally by the consuming public of Jamaica.We want to produce the best agricultural products, possible. And that can only be done with appro- priate training and appropriate technologies. We do that through what we call ‘agri-parks,’ where we introduce into a geographical area the necessary infrastructure –water, energy, good farming practices, adequate roads, all the necessary supplies in the quantities, necessary, to get the best output. “And we’re trying to expand our sources of water to service the agricultural sector. Far too much of our irrigable land is without actual irri- gation at this time, and we are relying on rain- fed irrigation.We are trying to ensure that more water reaches the best agricultural lands in