- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), has equipped farmers and nursery operators with practical skills in sustainable ginger production and seed propagation to increase the availability of clean planting material and strengthen the competitiveness of the sector.
St CATHERINE, Jamaica – As Jamaica’s ginger sector continues to address challenges associated with disease and access to clean planting material, more than 170 farmers, nursery operators, researchers and plant protection specialists have been trained in sustainable production and seed propagation techniques through a series of workshops led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA).
The training series which concluded last month, was implemented under FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, which supports the sustainable development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs). In Jamaica, ginger has been identified as the priority crop, with activities focused on strengthening production systems, improving access to quality planting material and supporting a more resilient value chain.
Participants from Clarendon, Hanover, Manchester St Ann, St Elizabeth, St Thomas, and Trelawny took part in sustainable ginger production training, while specialised sessions targeted farmers, nursery operators, researchers and plant protection specialists through ginger seed production and nursery management training in St. Catherine.
The training provided participants with practical knowledge on disease management, nursery establishment, seed production systems and the importance of using clean planting material. Through interactive discussions, farmers examined common production challenges, including bacterial wilt and rhizome rot disease, and explored approaches to reducing disease risks within their operations.
A major focus of the training series was the introduction of single bud technology, an innovative approach that enables farmers to multiply scarce planting material more efficiently while improving planting material quality.
According to technical experts, planting material typically accounts for between 40 and 46 percent of the total cost of ginger cultivation. Single bud technology offers an opportunity to increase the availability of planting material while reducing seed rhizome costs and supporting more efficient production systems.
The technology also serves as an important screening tool, helping producers identify potentially infected planting material before it is established in the field.
Participants in the ginger seed production and nursery management training were exposed to the standardised protocols required to produce healthy planting material, including tissue culture applications, seed certification systems, rhizome preparation techniques, treatment protocols and nursery management practices.
The sessions featured technical contributions from FAO, JACRA, the Scientific Research Council (SRC), the Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection Unit, the Seed Certification Unit and the Research and Development Division, providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the systems supporting ginger seed production in Jamaica.
Xavier Latty, a ginger farmer from Kellits, Clarendon, said the sustainable ginger production training provided valuable insights into disease management and emerging technologies that could support future production.
“The training means that there’s help and that you can go forward and don’t give up. You only have to do it the right way,” he said. Latty also welcomed the introduction of single bud technology as a potential option for improving productivity while making more efficient use of planting material.
“This training opened my knowledge to learn more, and I got to talk about my experience and what I would like to see going forward, to help ginger in our area. It was a big ginger area, and most of the land is polluted [with disease]. So I’m just thinking about the new method to plant it in pots where you to plant a small amount that you get more yield.”
According to the OCOP training facilitator, Dr Lisa Myers Morgan, the sessions encouraged participants to view sustainable production as an essential component of a stronger ginger value chain.
“It was a robust discussion looking at their connection with production, processing and marketing, the whole value chain. They were able to understand that they are critical because without sustainable production, there is no value chain.”
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