Jamaica: $19-million boost for Irish potato industry

The programme is set to cut the money spent annually on importing 90 per cent of Irish potato seeds to the island, while guaranteeing the availability of first-generation seeds throughout the year.

Delivering the keynote address at the launch of the initiative at the Scientific Research Council (SRC) offices in St Andrew, on Monday 15 August, Managing Director at JSIF Omar Sweeney said the project will also facilitate the control of pests and diseases, and increase the yield per hectare.

He told the gathering that JSIF contracted a microbiologist from Belgium to investigate the status of laboratories in Jamaica, as part of the development of the Irish potato industry.

The JSIF Head said coming out of the microbiologist’s report, SRC, Bodles Research Station, and the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) were identified as entities capable of producing Irish potato seeds.

With assistance to the three entities, Sweeney said they will have the capacity to generate 800,000 plantlets capable of producing 4.8 million microtubers in one year. If imported they would cost US$2.4 million.

He pointed out that the same number of tubers produced locally would result in savings of US$1 million, and they would be first-generation plants, free of diseases.

Sweeney said in the short term it is envisaged that Jamaica can move from an importer of seed potatoes to an exporter, especially to other CARICOM states.