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Home | Coffee Farmers to Get Chainsaws to Clear Debris and Restore Access to Farms
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (second right), in discussion with (from left) Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan, Yoko Maejima; Acting Director General, Jamaica Commodities Regulation Authority (JACRA), Wayne Hunter; and National Project Coordinator, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Sanatty Holness-Plummer. The occasion was the handover of professional-grade chainsaws at JACRA, 1 Willie Henry Drive, off Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston, on Wednesday (January 21). The equipment was provided through a UNIDO project funded by the Government of Japan.
Coffee farmers impacted by Hurricane Melissa will receive professional-grade chainsaws on a loan basis to help clear debris and restore access to their farms as part of a targeted rehabilitation initiative for the sector.
The initiative is being delivered under the Industrial Development and Technology Transfer among the Member States of the Caribbean Community Project, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with funding from the Government of Japan.
It focuses on farmers whose operations were severely disrupted by the passage of the hurricane on October 28 last year.
Speaking at Wednesday’s (January 21) handover ceremony at the Jamaica Commodities Regulation Authority (JACRA), 1 Willie Henry Drive, off Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, said limited access to damaged farms has been one of the major obstacles to recovery, particularly in the Blue Mountains where fallen trees and debris rendered many areas unreachable.
“Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica with devastating force, and a number of our coffee farmers suffered the brunt of that impact. A lot of their farms were rendered inaccessible,” Minister Green said.
“For many farmers, recovery was not immediately possible because the challenge of access to the area and the heavy debris… made even basic clean-up difficult,” he continued.
A total of 12 professional-grade chainsaws have been provided and will be managed by JACRA under a loan-based system, allowing farmers to share the equipment as rehabilitation efforts progress across affected communities.
Mr. Green explained that the arrangement is intended to extend the impact of the donation beyond immediate recovery.
“The equipment will remain under the custody of JACRA and will be available to farmers on a loan basis, which will ensure that the benefit of today’s donation extends beyond short-term recovery,” he said.
He also highlighted the long-standing partnership between Jamaica and Japan, particularly within the coffee industry, noting that Japan remains the island’s largest export market for Blue Mountain Coffee.
“Our partnership [with Japan] has grown over the years, largely through mutual respect and shared values,” the Minister said, noting that Japan accounts for more than half of Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee exports.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan, Yoko Maejima, expressed sympathy to farmers affected by the hurricane and reaffirmed her country’s commitment to supporting Jamaica’s agricultural recovery.
“This ceremony is not merely about the handover of chainsaw equipment, but also about supporting recovery, resilience and the rebuilding of livelihoods in the agricultural sector,” Ms. Maejima said.
“Japan understands that recovery requires not only tools but also cooperation, patience and the collaborative efforts of communities,” she continued.
Ms. Maejima noted that the project represents an initial step, with additional technical cooperation and technology transfer planned in the medium to long term.
The equipment handover forms part of a wider recovery framework being rolled out by the Ministry and JACRA, which also included the distribution of more than 6,000 coffee seedlings, to date, with plans to provide up to 60,000 seedlings free of cost to coffee farmers to support replanting and climate-resilient production.
Minister Green assured farmers of the Government’s continued support, emphasising the importance of the crop to Jamaica’s identity and economy.
“Blue Mountain Coffee is not only an economic asset; it is a symbol of our national pride,” he said, adding that the Government remains committed to strengthening the sector and improving returns for farmers.
The initiative underscores the collaborative approach being taken by the Government of Jamaica, international partners and industry stakeholders to rebuild the coffee sector following Hurricane Melissa.
