Agro-Invest targets US$1 billion in agricultural investment over 10 years
Key Points(5)
- Jamaica’s Agro-Investment Corporation is seeking to mobilize US$1 billion in investment for the island’s agricultural sector over the next decade, with a call for diaspora investors, entrepreneurs and professionals to help finance and develop viable businesses.
- Agro-Invest CEO Vivion Scully outlined the target during the Second Annual Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia on Oct.
- “The diaspora brings more than money.
- It brings customer relationships, business experience and technical expertise that can help Jamaican enterprises grow,” Scully said.
- “We want to connect those strengths with credible projects and capable operating partners.” The proposed investment strategy will focus on several areas of the agricultural value chain, including production, agro-processing, cold storage, distribution and technology.
Jamaica’s Agro-Investment Corporation is seeking to mobilize US$1 billion in investment for the island’s agricultural sector over the next decade, with a call for diaspora investors, entrepreneurs and professionals to help finance and develop viable businesses.
Agro-Invest CEO Vivion Scully outlined the target during the Second Annual Jamaica Diaspora Northeast USA Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia on Oct. 24. The conference was held under the theme “From Diaspora Capital to National Impact: Investing in Jamaica’s Future.”
Scully said Jamaicans overseas could contribute more than financial capital, pointing to their business experience, technical expertise and international market connections as resources that could help expand agricultural enterprises and improve the sector’s competitiveness.
“The diaspora brings more than money. It brings customer relationships, business experience and technical expertise that can help Jamaican enterprises grow,” Scully said. “We want to connect those strengths with credible projects and capable operating partners.”
The proposed investment strategy will focus on several areas of the agricultural value chain, including production, agro-processing, cold storage, distribution and technology.
According to Scully, the corporation will prioritize projects backed by demonstrated customer demand, sound business plans, appropriate financing arrangements and clear accountability mechanisms.
The strategy aims to connect diaspora investors with viable agricultural ventures, allowing them to contribute capital, expertise and access to overseas markets while supporting the development of Jamaica’s agricultural industry.
Scully emphasized that the US$1 billion figure is a long-term target and said the initiative’s success would depend on the capital actually invested and the results generated, rather than the amount pledged.
Expected outcomes include the creation and expansion of sustainable businesses, job creation, more reliable markets for farmers and increased export opportunities for Jamaican agricultural products.
“Our responsibility is to make the route from interest to investment clearer,” Scully said. “We are inviting diaspora partners to bring us a specific interest, a market connection or an investment proposal that we can help assess and advance.”
The initiative is intended to give Jamaicans overseas a more direct role in developing the agricultural sector by linking international capital and expertise with investment opportunities on the island.
Interested investors and potential partners can contact Agro-Invest at info@agroinvest.gov.jm or visit the corporation’s website.
