KINGSTON — Fintrac closed out its leadership of the agribusiness component of the Rural Enterprise, Agricultural and Community Tourism (REACT) project in Jamaica after one year of operation because of USAID funding cuts.

Fintrac successfully delivered a market-led approach that promoted sustainable agricultural practices in the field, in line with the Jamaican government’s vision for the future: “The dynamic transformation of the Jamaican agricultural sector by the year 2020.”

Fintrac worked with 171 lead clients (38 women) to improve operations in open-field horticulture, greenhouse production and poultry production. As a result, client crop sales increased 178 percent and poultry sales increased by 15 percent. Employment grew by 44 percent — more than 100 jobs were created at client farms because of the growth. Many individual farmers reported staggering increases in sales because of Fintrac’s assistance, both on-farm and through market linkages.

Margaret Walker, a hot pepper and cassava farmer in St. Ann, had significant crop losses because of flooding but with Fintrac assistance she calendarized production, dividing her farm into several production plots for year round crop rotation.

Walker’s sales jumped from $1,923 in 2005 to $9,385 in 2006, an increase of almost 400 percent.

“Before the program, the most I ever earned was $3,000 in a given year. Now we have improved crop density, fertigation, etc. This is a whole different way of farming,” Walker said.

Cecil Campbell, a farmer in Clarendon, increased sales from $2,308 in 2005 to $11,985 in 2006, a 419 percent increase. Campbell grows hot peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and cucumbers and was expecting an even better year in 2007.

New market linkages were established between producers and major wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotel chains throughout Jamaica. Extension workers from Jamaica’s Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) were trained in the Fintrac approach to ensure continued success and are reporting widespread adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) because of Fintrac’s sustainable farming model.