JAMAICA - AGRICULTURAL MARKETING DEVELOPMENT

THE PROJECT WILL: (1) ESTABLISH A MARKETING DIVISION IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (MOA), (2) CONSTRUCT FOUR SUBTERMINAL WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION MARKETS, AND (3) CONSTRUCT 25 ASSEMBLY AND GRADING STATIONS IN PRODUCING AREAS. THE MOA MARKETING DIVISION WILL BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH LONG- AND SHORT-TERM IN-COUNTRY TRAINING FOR ASSEMBLY AND GRADING STATION PERSONNEL, OVERSEAS TRAINING FOR HIGH-LEVEL AND SUBTERMINAL MARKET PERSONNEL. COMMODITIES WILL CONSIST PRIMARILY OF 11 UTILITY VEHICLES. THE DIVISION WILL WORK TO IMPROVE POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCER SUPPORT, PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION, MARKET DEVELOPMENT, INFORMATION, RESEARCH, TRAINING, EXTENSION, AND QUALITY CONTROL. THE FOUR SUBTERMINAL WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION MARKETS WILL INCREASE DISTRIBUTION, EXPAND LOCALLY PRODUCED FOOD CROP MARKETS, AND INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF GRADED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. SEPARATE BLOCKS WILL BE SITUATED ON SEPARATE 10 ACRE SITES TO REDUCE CONTAMINATION OF PRODUCT BY ANOTHER AND TO OPTIMIZE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF THE PREMISES. FRUIT, VEGETABLES, MEAT, AND FISH MARKET BLOCKS WILL PROVIDE DISPLAY AND SALES AREA. COLD STORAGE WILL BE LOCATED ADJACENT TO MARKET BLOCKS. ASSEMBLY AND GRADING STATIONS WILL FACILITATE THE COOPERATIVE COLLECTION AND ASSEMBLY OF COMMODITIES IN VOLUMES LARGE ENOUGH TO SORT INTO GRADES AND SHIP TO SUBTERMINAL OR TERMINAL MARKETS. THE STATIONS WILL ALSO PROVIDE A MEANS OF DISTRIBUTING INPUTS (FERTILIZER, PESTICIDES, IMPLEMENTS, AND CONTAINERS) TO SMALL FARMERS. TA AND TRAINING WILL FOCUS PRIMARILY ON THE MARKETING DIVISION AND WILL IMPACT ON THE SUBTERMINAL MARKETS AND ASSEMBLY AND GRADING STATIONS VIA THE WORK OF THE MARKETING DIVISION AS WELL AS DIRECTLY ON PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN TRAINING OF MANAGEMENT STAFF. Amendment of 6/26/86 adds a 3-year, $14.8 million rural road rehabilitation component to be implemented by the Ministry of Construction (Works) - MOC/W. The component will bring to maintainable condition 450 miles of parochial and tertiary main roads, bridges, and culverts in poor condition - particularly those in highly populated areas or damaged by May/June 1986 rains - by clearing vegetation, cleaning and providing new drainage, rebuilding retaining walls, and repaving or regravelling. The project will also provide: hand tools for use by local maintenance teams; spare parts to rehabilitate MOC equipment; some 176 months of TA during the 30-month road planning period; and computers and vehicles for the MOC. (PD-AAU-641)