The government is establishing a new Central Marketing Corporation (CMC) facility designed to purchase produce directly from farmers and supply it to hotels and supermarkets, in a move aimed at strengthening the link between agriculture and tourism.
Agriculture Minister Anthony Smith Jr. said the facility, to be located at the former Tennis Club property in Cassada Gardens, will serve as a flagship hub for marketing and distribution.
“What we want to do there, we want to focus our mandate on purchasing from our local farmers,” Smith said.
He said the initiative is intended to give farmers a reliable market for their produce while helping the country reduce imports by supplying the tourism sector with locally grown food.
“CMC will… be that vehicle that markets to the hotels to get our products into the hotels and into supermarkets,” Smith said.
The facility will include cold storage, dry storage and agro-processing capabilities, allowing produce to be stored longer and processed before distribution.
“We will have cold storage, we will have dry storage, and we want to be able to create that farmer’s market,” he said.
Smith said the government has already acquired the property and is now preparing to retrofit and develop the site, though no firm opening date has been announced.
“We have recently acquired the building, but we have to now build out the building,” he said, noting that work on the facility is ongoing.
The minister described the project as a “game changer” that will ease pressure on farmers by ensuring a steady outlet for their produce.
“Once you’re able to produce and we’re able to find a market for you as a farmer,” he said, “CMC… is going to be a huge game changer for us in agriculture.”
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to improve food security, support local farmers and better integrate agriculture into the country’s tourism-driven economy.
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