Green pushes AI-powered farming revolution

Jamaican farmers could soon be turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to help them decide what crops to plant, as the Government moves to tackle the longstanding problem of oversupply that often leaves farmers struggling to sell their produce.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green says a new technology-driven system is being piloted to help farmers make more informed planting decisions, potentially preventing situations in which large quantities of the same crop flood the market and drive prices below production costs. He was speaking at the World Food Day National Ceremony and Mini Expo on Wednesday, held under the theme ‘Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow’.

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“What we want you farmers to be able to do, if you are going out to plant tomorrow, we want you to be able to go on to a system and look how much people across Jamaica are planting tomato now, how much people a plant cabbage now, how much people in your area a plant sweet potato, so that, if yuh know say a too much, nuh badda do it,” Green explained.