Dayton Campbell calls for urgent national action: “For Every Dollar Earned From Agricultural Exports, Jamaica Spends Five Importing Food”

Jamaica’s food import bill has risen to a record US$1.468 billion, surpassing the previous record of US$1.402 billion set in 2022, Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture and Fisheries Dr Dayton Campbell revealed during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate on Agriculture and Fisheries in Parliament.

Speaking under the theme “A Harvest the People Can Eat,” Dr Campbell cited the most recent International Merchandise Trade Data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica and warned that the figures represent a serious national vulnerability that requires urgent and honest attention from the Government.

“Jamaica now spends five dollars on imported food for every dollar it earns from agricultural exports. That is not the profile of a country transforming its agricultural sector. That is the profile of a country becoming increasingly dependent.” said Dr Dayton Campbell, MP, Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture and Fisheries

Dr Campbell noted that Jamaica’s total food and agricultural imports, including animal and vegetable oils and beverages, exceed US$1.5 billion annually, accounting for approximately twenty per cent of the country’s total import bill of US$7.523 billion. He expressed concern that a country blessed with fertile land, hard working people, strong agricultural traditions, and more than 250,000 registered farmers remains so heavily dependent on imported food.

The Opposition Spokesman also highlighted a troubling decline in agricultural export performance. Jamaica’s agricultural exports fell from approximately US$288 million in 2024 to US$278 million in 2025, representing a decline of approximately three per cent. He argued that rising imports combined with declining exports demonstrate that the Government’s current approach is not producing the level of transformation the nation urgently requires.

Dr Campbell pointed to two specific and immediately actionable opportunities for reducing import dependency.

On dairy, he noted that Jamaica currently imports between 3.5 million and 3.8 million kilograms of milk powder annually, representing approximately 35 to 38 million litres of reconstituted liquid milk, while local milk production stands at only 10 to 14 million litres annually. 

He called for a structured engagement between milk powder importers, manufacturers, dairy farmers, processors, financial institutions, and the Ministry to develop a phased import substitution plan.

On beef, Dr Campbell highlighted that Jamaica consistently imports US$14 to US$15 million in beef trimmings annually, primarily for the patty manufacturing and processed food industries. He calculated that the import volume of approximately three million kilograms is equivalent to the production of more than 8,500 animals and represents a land and enterprise opportunity of approximately 8,500 acres.

Campbell noted “Jamaica should not continue spending US$10 to US$12 million annually on imported milk powder while local dairy farmers struggle and rural communities search for opportunities. The demand already exists. What is needed now is the political will to organise the domestic supply.”

Dr Campbell called on the Government to develop a comprehensive National Food Import Reduction Plan with clear targets, measurable timelines, practical incentives, and transparent reporting. Such a plan, he argued, should identify imported food products that can realistically be produced or substituted locally and develop a coordinated national production strategy around them.

He also proposed that publicly funded institutions, including schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, and infirmaries, should wherever feasible prioritise the purchase of Jamaican-grown food, providing farmers with greater market certainty while retaining economic value within the island.