Fifty-seven farmers are now agribusiness entrepreneurs
After completing a seven-week Business Incubator Training, nearly 60 farmers in Kingston & St. Andrew now have improved capacity as agribusiness entrepreneurs. This, from a coordinated effort between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Junior Achievement Jamaica (JAJ). The end of the training programme culminated in a graduation exercise and business pitch presentation held at Medallion Hall in Kingston on February 1, 2023.
The training, executed under the FAO’s “Inclusive and Resilient Agri-Food System in Rural and Peri-Urban Territories of Kingston” project sought to align business incubator services with business opportunities within different segments of the food system. This is part of the mandate of the FAO in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica to boost food and nutrition security by expanding business opportunities within the agriculture sector. A key expectation is that financial institutions and other development partners will be better poised to invest and strengthen agribusiness ecosystems.
In his remarks FAO Representative in Jamaica, Dr Crispim Moreira underscored the importance of entrepreneurship education for farmers. “Agricultural enterprise, business planning and marketing should be key features in the operations of every farmer. The principles and practices of business are not reserved for large scale commercial agribusiness stakeholders but should also be applied by our small farmers as well.”
He also lauded the graduates for their commitment in completing the programme while encouraging them to go beyond the learning experience. “I salute you for staying the course and pushing yourselves to unlock new achievements. As agripreneurs, you are now better equipped with the skills, knowledge and network to increase your country’s income level, reduce poverty levels and narrow the margin of inequality. You are better positioned to create more competitive business and sustainable ventures.”
A key priority of the initiative was the incorporation of gender sensitive approaches by targeting youth and women evidenced by a female majority of 50 trainees. The participants in the programme ranged from age 19 to 69 and are engaged in crop production, animal husbandry, agroprocessing and nutraceuticals.
Through a combination of instructive methods including conferences, presentations and collaborative projects, the participants were introduced to fundamentals of entrepreneurship and business management. Core concepts of business ideation, market research, funding options and legal considerations were also integrated into the curriculum. The programme also focused on business operations module which consisted ethical practices, customer service, finances and conflict management. These areas, according to the coordinators, will contribute to an elevated standard of service delivery and customer experience as well as increased competitiveness of the participants’ enterprises.
“Junior Achievement Jamaica is proud and happy to be a part of this initiative. A lot of our projects have been with young people in primary and high schools and so to be given the opportunity to expand to an older demography was a journey we were happy to undertake. Entrepreneurship is a fluid field, meaning it is accessible to every industry and it is especially important for farmers to be exposed to these skills and knowledge so they can expand their ventures and better their livelihood”, said interim Executive Director of JAJ Callia Smith-Harriott.
The technical assistance received from the training has equipped participants to develop and implement business ventures that are sustainable and climate-smart in different areas of the food system. The completion of the programme has further propelled aspiring agribusinesses towards a state of enhanced readiness. This was reflected in the pitch presentations delivered by five participants who were preselected based on their outstanding business proposals.
Beekeeper, Alvia Green of G&G’s Vineyards in Bull Bay also one of the pitch presenters, hailed the entrepreneurship experience as eye-opening. “I am different now because when I used to sell my honey, I would just put down the money. Now I am transformed. I have started to document sales. The best part of this experience was teaching us how to budget. I didn’t have any experience about balance sheets and assets.”
As a result of the training, Alvia is more optimistic that the exposure will yield greater success for her farming operations. “It is going to help me because now I know when I purchase boxes or bottles, I should have it written down.”
FAO in collaboration with JAJ will continue to support the participants through the provision of agriculture inputs for their enterprises.