However, officials of the agriculture ministry are concerned that things could change if 'mother nature' is unkind to the island during the current hurricane season.
"If you look at the historical data, this third quarter is normally the quarter when there is the lowest volume of food produced in the country because of the environmental challenges," Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton noted Tuesday, as he updated journalists on the performance of the sector during the April-June period.
Farmers most exposed
"It is the hurricane season and the season when farmers are most exposed and at risk, so part of the thrust of the ministry is to provide critical information ... as it relates to disaster management," Tufton added.
He noted that during this year's second quarter, domestic cropproduction was just under 123,000 tonnes. This represented a 22 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year.
The crops which showed the sharpest increase in production included onions, carrots and Irish potatoes. All three have been targeted by Tufton and his team in an effort to reduce importation of these crops.
Process of recovery
"The process of recovery and strong growth in production andproductivity that started at the end of 2008 and is showing increasing momentum," said Tufton.
The agriculture minister noted that St Elizabeth continued to lead the country in agricultural output despite the losses caused by the infestation of the beet army worm and the severe drought and fires whichravaged sections of the parish.
In fact, St Elizabeth, Trelawny and Manchester accounted for approximately 57 per cent of the country's total domestic cropproduction during the quarter.