FAO distributes 5,000 hot pepper plants to 33 Schools Across Jamaica

More than 5,000 Scotch Bonnet pepper seedlings found new homes in 33 schools across Jamaica as part of a hands-on activity under the project “Improving the Phytosanitary, Food Safety and Market Access Opportunities along the Hot Pepper Value Chain.” Though the seedlings were planted before the new school year, the initiative continues to support agricultural learning and school gardening, contributing to long-term capacity building among students.

The activity was carried out in partnership with the Jamaica 4-H Clubs and forms part of the project’s mission to strengthen the hot pepper value chain by introducing students to good agricultural practices, clean planting materials, and the potential of agri-preneurship.

The project targeted the parishes of St. Ann, Clarendon, St. Mary, St. Catherine, and St. Elizabeth, while the distribution focused on schools with active 4-H Clubs, Agriculture Science programmes, adequate garden space, and strong teacher and student commitment to maintaining the seedlings even throughout the summer months.

The initiative kicked off at the Youth in Agriculture Symposium in July hosted by Jamaica 4-H Clubs under the theme “Resilient Roots: Empowering Youth in Agriculture for a Sustainable Future.” There, five schools from St. Ann: York Castle High, Brown’s Town High, Fern Court High, Walkerswood Academy, and Aboukir High, received seedlings and technical support, including planting demonstrations and educational materials.

Subsequent distributions continued in:

• Clarendon: Bustamante High, Vere Technical, Hayes Primary & Infant, and Central High;
• St. Mary: Bromley Primary, Highgate Primary, Marlborough Primary, Wycliffe Martin High, and Youth of Vision Academy;
• St. Catherine: Fifteen schools received seedlings during the St. Catherine 4-H Clubs Annual General Meeting;
• St. Elizabeth: Nain High, B.B. Coke High, Holland Primary, and Aberdeen High.

At Bromley Primary and Infant School in St. Mary, the experience was more than just an agricultural lesson.

“I just want to express sincere gratitude to FAO for coming to our school and engaging us in a pepper planting activity,” said Principal Khalif Williams.
 “Our students and I took part in the activity, and we had fun. We will be taking good care of the plants and of course report back to you guys to show you what our products look like and what we will do with them. We will use them in the school canteen and of course share with the 4-H club for them to take home.”

The project team, including a Phytosanitary Specialist, conducted practical demonstrations at each school to show students and staff how to properly plant, care for, and protect the seedlings from pests and disease. These hands-on sessions reinforced the importance of phytosanitary practices and the use of clean planting materials, critical components for strong market access and food safety in Jamaica’s pepper industry.

The Improving the Phytosanitary Food Safety and Market Access Opportunities along the Hot Pepper Value Chain” project is funded by the Standards and Trade Development Facility and implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Bureau of Standards, Jamaica, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining.