Jamaica – Marketing and Agriculture for Jamaican Improved Competitiveness (MAJIC)
Developing the Jamaican Agricultural Sector
ACDI/VOCA received a four-year, $14 million associate award to implement the Marketing and Agriculture for Jamaican Improved Competitiveness (MAJIC) project. The goal of the USAID-funded program is to transform Jamaica’s agriculture sector into a market-driven, competitive industry, with increased volume and value of Jamaican agricultural commodities leading to improved farm income, strengthened food security and expanded small-scale rural enterprises. Volunteer experts recruited by ACDI/VOCA will assist in achieving these objectives.
The project focuses on four components:
- Supporting an effective and efficient marketing information system
- Strengthening production, processing and marketing linkages throughout selected value chains
- Strengthening financial services for production, productivity and marketing
- Improving production and marketing of selected specialty crops, mainly cocoa
MAJIC’s market-driven value chain approach empowers and engages women and youth and promotes environmentally sustainable practices that tie economic incentives to the protection of biodiversity. The program will use flexible grants for quick, targeted action to upgrade or improve production, processing or marketing of select horticulture and specialty crops.
MAJIC will increase competitiveness at all levels from producer to market by fielding volunteer experts who will provide technical assistance to improve productivity for a range of staple and cash crops such as cocoa.
Using a value chain approach, MAJIC promotes market-oriented growth of import-substituting commodities and helps improve related input and output market systems to enhance competitiveness. The program will increase the value of Jamaica’s agricultural output and enhance the role of the private sector to contribute to overall economic impact. It will establish strong, mutually beneficial commercial relationships among farmers, associations, input providers and buyers. ACDI/VOCA will work with local partners, strengthening their ability to provide services all along the value chain to improve productivity beyond the life of the project.
The MAJIC program is an associate award through the Farmer-to-Farmer Leader with Associates mechanism and so utilizes volunteer experts to provide technical assistance to address constraints within select value chains –from production to marketing, strengthen producer groups, increase the access to financial services, and improve a access to markets.
Activities under MAJIC will be replicable and scalable to achieve broad impact during and after the project. We will add value to current agricultural initiatives of the government of Jamaica, USAID and other donors (including the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank) and leverage private sector resources where possible.
For more information contact Elizabeth Aviles at eaviles@acdivoca.org.
Updated: 4/10
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