Above: Agriculture Minister Robert Montague (JIS Photo)

It’s a key ingredient in curry, and it’s something the Jamaican government hopes will become a key ingredient in the country’s economy.

Agriculture Minister Robert Montague said his ministry would be seeking to develop a programme to push the production of turmeric.

“It grows wild in Jamaica,” he said. “I am developing a programme to push production in that spice, along with ginger.”

Montague said the push was part of a wider plan to increase agricultural production in Jamaica, along with a new focus on potatoes and onions.

“We import [$35 million] worth of Irish potatoes and onions into the country each year, and if we can make some space at the table to our producers, we will be able to increase farm family income and then we will see rural development pushing on,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Spanish government announced a grant for Caribbean agriculture focused in Jamaica.

–Jamaica Information Service