New Seed and Nursery Certification Unit to Fortify Jamaican's Agricultural Sector

Jamaica has taken a major step towards strengthening agricultural productivity, safeguarding plant health, and improving food security with the setting up of a new Seed and Nursery Certification Unit at the Bodles Research Station in St. Catherine.

Established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, the facility is designed to regulate and certify nurseries and seed producers, ensuring that farmers have access to high-quality, disease-free planting material.

The initiative is expected to boost crop yields, reduce losses due to pests and diseases, and enhance the competitiveness of Jamaica's agricultural sector.

Speaking at the recent official launch, portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, said that the unit, which is the newest arm of the Plant Quarantine and Produce Inspection Branch, will introduce a mandatory certification programme for planting material used in the agriculture sector.

He explained that the programme will provide certification and registration for nursery plant producers and distributors of seeds, ensuring that planting materials meet strict regulatory standards for quality, traceability, and legal operation.

The establishment of the unit comes at a critical time as Jamaica continues to battle several plant diseases, including Citrus Greening or Huanglongbing (HLB), Frosty Pod Rot of Cocoa, Rhizome Rot of Ginger, and Laurel Wilt of Avocado.

By ensuring that farmers receive clean, pest and disease-free planting material, the Ministry hopes to significantly reduce the spread of these threats and strengthen agricultural resilience.

Chief Plant Quarantine Produce Inspector, Damian Rowe, said that the opening of the unit represents the practical implementation of Jamaica's National Plant Health Policy.

"This initiative is fundamentally aimed at improving productivity, safeguarding plant health and strengthening the resilience of a very competitive agriculture sector," he pointed out.

He noted that the concept for the unit dates to 2017/18 when discussions began about developing a modern seed industry supported by legislation, certification systems and internationally accepted standards.

Mr. Rowe explained that extensive consultations were held with stakeholders, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in drafting regulations, certification procedures, and a digital seed certification database that will strengthen traceability and accountability throughout the agricultural value chain.

The certification programme will initially focus on priority crops, including ginger, turmeric, mango, avocado, cocoa, citrus, sorrel, sweet potato, hot pepper, pumpkin, corn and Irish potato, eventually expanding to include additional crops based on national priorities.

The unit will also regulate seed merchants, laboratories, processing facilities and nursery operators. Through inspections, registration and monitoring systems, officials will ensure that certified planting materials meet established standards before reaching farmers.

A key feature of the programme is its focus on traceability. Registered nurseries will be required to implement proper tagging and labelling systems, enabling authorities and farmers to track planting materials from production to distribution.

Mr. Rowe said that the success of the programme will depend on collaboration among research institutions, government agencies and industry stakeholders.

Bodles Research Station will serve as the central hub for seed cleaning, laboratory services and certification activities, supported by agencies including the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Coconut Industry Board (CIB), Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), and local universities.

FAO Representative for Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize, Dr. Ana Touza, in her remarks at the launch, said the establishment of the new unit demonstrates Jamaica's commitment to strengthening the foundation of agriculture through quality planting materials, strong regulatory systems and improved confidence in agricultural products.

She highlights FAO's support through projects to strengthen phytosanitary systems, training of more than 247 stakeholders in pest surveillance and response and improving seed-quality certification mechanisms.

"A key innovation under this collaboration is the Seed Certification Management System, a cloud-based national platform that digitises the certification process," Dr. Touza informed.

She noted that the digital platform will improve transparency, compliance and efficiency while supporting the development of a more competitive seed industry.

The significance of the achievement was underscored by Principal Research Director in the Ministry's Research and Development Division, Don McGlashan, who reflected on the decades-long journey that led to the establishment of the unit.

"Where the Seed and Nursery Certification Unit is now has been long in coming, but we have arrived here," he noted.

Mr. McGlashan said that the initiative sends a strong message to Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and international partners that the country is serious about protecting its food security and food sovereignty.

Chairman of the Jamaica Citrus Protection Agency, Peter McConnell, for his part, praised the development, noting that science-based certification programmes have already proven their value in the citrus industry.

Highlighting Jamaica's battle against the Citrus Tristeza Virus and Citrus Greening Disease, he said that certification systems have ensured access to clean planting material and laid the foundation for industry recovery.

"There will be no food security that is not driven by science and technology," Mr. McConnell said.

"Without certification programmes, there would be no future," he added.

By Garfield L. Angus