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<p>Seven hundred farmers, who operate in the Essex Valley region of St. Elizabeth, will benefit from training towards enabling them to achieve <strong>Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)</strong> certification.</p>
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<p>The training is part of the <strong>Essex Valley Agriculture Development Project (EVADP)</strong>, which aims to enhance the production and productivity of farmers in a sustainable, climate-sensitive manner while improving their livelihood.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Essex-Valley-Farmers-GAP-Certification-Buzz-Caribbean-1024x553.jpg" alt="Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence (right), shakes hands with Consultant, Global GAP,  Leonardo Ferrer Narvaez (left) at a Global GAP consultancy meeting at The Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (September 2). Sharing the moment is Project Manager, Essex Valley Agriculture Development Project (EVADP), Troy Chambers. " class="wp-image-7332" /><figcaption>Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence (right), shakes hands with Consultant, Global GAP,  Leonardo Ferrer Narvaez (left) at a Global GAP consultancy meeting at The Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (September 2). Sharing the moment is Project Manager, Essex Valley Agriculture Development Project (EVADP), Troy Chambers. </figcaption></figure>
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<p>Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence, said that Global GAP certification is critical to the growth and sustainability of the local agriculture sector. </p>
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<p>The international certification was developed to ensure that farm produce meets required food-safety standards while minimising the detrimental environmental impacts of farming operations.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p> “[I hope] that it becomes the norm that our farmers – big, medium and small – are certified and...prepared to take on the world"</p><cite>— Dermon Spence, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, </cite></blockquote>
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<p>Mr Spence said that certification to the standard will make local farmers more competitive globally, thereby increasing the country’s agricultural exports.</p>
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<p> “We (Jamaica) cannot compete internationally without being fully certified,” he said at the Global GAP consultancy meeting at The Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (September 2).</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/09/Essex-Valley-St-Elizabeth-Buzz-Caribbean-1024x657.jpg" alt="Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence (centre), converses with Global GAP Consultant, Leonardo Ferrer Narvaez (left) at a Global GAP consultancy meeting at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (September 2). Looking on is Project Manager, Essex Valley Agriculture Development Project (EVADP), Troy Chambers. " class="wp-image-7334" /><figcaption>Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence (centre), converses with Global GAP Consultant, Leonardo Ferrer Narvaez (left) at a Global GAP consultancy meeting at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (September 2). Looking on is Project Manager, Essex Valley Agriculture Development Project (EVADP), Troy Chambers. </figcaption></figure>
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<p>“[I hope] that it becomes the norm that our farmers – big, medium and small – are certified and are in a place where they are prepared to take on the world and the national economy in terms of guaranteeing and ensuring that the … produce that we are consuming [is] safe, traceable and can stand up to quality scrutiny from anywhere around the world,” he added.      </p>
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