MoBay mayor urges ex-gangsters to turn to farming, agribusiness
Published:Tuesday | September 23, 2025 | 12:05 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
With St James now enjoying crime reduction on a scale not seen in over two decades, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon is urging displaced gangsters to turn a new page by channelling their energies into farming and agribusiness, which he noted is a safe way to earn an income while boosting the nation’s food security.
Vernon made the call on Thursday while addressing the inaugural staging of the Jamaica Agri-Business Investment Forum and Expo at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, where he highlighted the much improved situation as it relates to crime in the parish.
“I make the call with murders down by 60 per cent, the lowest in over 30 years,” said Vernon.
“Gangsters must now move from defending corners to developing acres. They already know how to run an entire network; they should now run supply chains,” said Vernon, who also chairs the 17-seat St James Municipal Corporation.
Vernon further argued that agriculture presents immense opportunities for youth entrepreneurship, job creation, and national growth, particularly as Jamaica grapples with an annual food-import bill of more than US$1 billion. With 60 per cent of imported food being consumed by hotels, restaurants, and institutions, he said it is a lucrative space that could be filled by local farmers and agro-processors.
“Hotels require a consistent supply of fresh produce, meats, seafood, and value-added products. Local farmers, equipped with the right technology and standards, can meet this demand,” said Vernon, pointing to the potential it offers to reduced imports, increased local income, and boost food security.
According to Vernon, Montego Bay is the leading resort city in the English-speaking Caribbean based on the fact that it is anchored by more than 20,000 hotel rooms, which is creating a growing culinary demand that offers unique opportunities for agribusiness integration with tourism.
Vernon also pointed out that there are already young people engaged in digital innovation and the creative industries who could channel their skills into agri-tech, logistics, and export-oriented farming.
“This is a platform for action, not abstraction. Montego Bay is no longer defined by its past struggles but by its emerging potential. Agriculture is the way forward,” declared Vernon.
To emphasise the commitment of the St James Municipal Corporation to the process, Vernon pledged the corporation’s support in facilitating agribusiness ventures, assuring stakeholders that the city has the infrastructure, institutional capacity, and civic leadership to sustain innovation and investment.
“Welcome to our beautiful Montego Bay, the best city in the Caribbean. May this forum yield tangible outcomes that advance Jamaica’s agricultural future and deepen our global relevance,” he said of the forum and expo, held under the theme ‘Sustainable Agri-Business: Global Reach, the Local Impact’.