400 Pregnant Heifers to Be Distributed to Local Farmers

Four hundred pregnant heifers are to be distributed to dairy farmers across Jamaica under a major government initiative, aimed at rebuilding the national herd, boosting milk production and strengthening the long-term resilience of the dairy industry following Hurricane Melissa.

The Jamaica Dairy Development Board’s (JDDB) Heifer Redistribution Programme was launched on July 16, at Serge Island Dairies in Danvers Pen, St. Thomas. The 400 heifers were purchased from Serge Island Dairies.

Delivering the keynote address at the event, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, said the investment goes beyond replacing livestock lost during the hurricane and represents a strategic effort to make the dairy sector more robust.

He noted that the initiative comes after the dairy industry sustained approximately $3 billion in losses from Hurricane Melissa in 2025, with many farmers still recovering from previous damage from Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

“It’s not a transfer of animals, it’s a transfer of productive capacity… to ensure that we continue to rebuild our national herd, that we improve the genetic quality on our farms throughout the island, and that we create greater opportunity for increased milk production, and more importantly, long-term income generation,” the Minister said.

He noted that the pregnant heifers will continue to create value well into the future as they produce calves, allowing farmers to expand their herds over time.

Mr. Green further outlined that farmers receiving the animals are being selected through established dairy groups across the island to ensure the livestock are properly managed and the programme achieves its production targets.

Educational institutions will also benefit from the initiative as part of efforts to expose more young Jamaicans to dairy farming and to secure the future of the sector.

“We’re also going to be helping our high schools with the infrastructure and also helping them with these – some of these pregnant heifers – so they can build a system that will continue to serve the dairy sector,” Mr. Green said.

The Minister encouraged beneficiaries to make full use of the investment by properly caring for the animals and reinvesting in their operations as production increases.

“What we’re doing today is building the base of our dairy sector so that we can reach back to the heights where we can look to supply milk for the entire Caribbean. That must be our goal,” Mr. Green said.

The distribution also forms part of the Ministry’s wider Dairy Livestock Innovation Nutrition and Knowledge (LINK) Programme, which includes equipment leasing, pasture redevelopment, veterinary support and improvements to dairy infrastructure.

The Minister pointed out that the JDDB had previously provided dairy farmers with feed, fencing and generators directly after Hurricane Melissa.

The Board also formed partnerships to be able to provide veterinary services to dairy farmers to save some of the animals after the category-five Hurricane.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Seprod Group, Richard Pandohie, in his address, said that Jamaica’s dairy industry is now at a point of inflection.

“We either move forward now in a very strong way or we face the risk of never ever being able to develop it again,” he said.

“We are producing 13 million litres of milk per year in this country. We used to produce 50 million litres. We can become the supplier to the entire English-speaking Caribbean. We have an opportunity, and this is the time that we have to make it happen,” the CEO urged.