Iphrojekthi yokulinga ye-Jamaica Tourism Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) isize abalimi bendawo abangama-400 ngokumaketha okulinganiselwa ku-360,000 kg wemikhiqizo yezolimo yenani elingaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-$39.
I-ALEX, okuwuhlelo oluhlanganyelwe loMnyango Wezokuvakasha kanye Neziphathimandla Zokuthuthukiswa Kwezolimo Zasemakhaya (i-RADA), iyinkundla yokuqala ye-inthanethi yohlobo lwayo kuleli. Iletha abanikazi bamahhotela ukuthi baxhumane ngokuqondile nabalimi futhi, ngokulandelayo, inciphise ukuvuza futhi igcine izinzuzo eziningi zezomnotho zezokuvakasha e-Jamaica.
Iplatifomu, engatholakala ku-agrilinkages.com, ivumela abalimi ukuthi bahlele ukubhekana ngokwanele nezinkathi zonyaka ezitshalweni; futhi unikeze ulwazi oluhlobene nendawo yezitshalo ezithile.
Ekhuluma ngoLwesithathu, kuvulwa i-Tourism Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) Centre, ehlala ehhovisi le-RADA e-St Andrew, uNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha, uMhlonishwa. U-Edmund Bartlett uthe, “Sijabule ngalolu hlelo ngoba lususa izinkinga zegebe lezokuxhumana elikhona. Kusibeka ethubeni lokuthi noma yikuphi lapho abalimi bekhona bangakhiqiza badayisele amahhotela ngoba i-ALEX ikhona ukuze ikuxhume.”
Uphinde waphawula ukuthi, “Kuzosusa izingxabano kubanikazi bamahhotela abathi 'Angazi ukuthi izimpahla zakho zikuphi noma angazi ukuthi obani abalimi bakho.' Imema izinga lenhlangano, ukuze nakuba i-ALEX izoxhumanisa abalimi ngabanye, umqondo waleli lungiselelo uzophakamisa ukuthi abalimi bangahlangana futhi bakhe inqwaba ebucayi ezokwenza kube nesiqiniseko sokugeleza embonini ngaso sonke isikhathi. "
UNgqongqoshe uphinde wasebenzisa leli thuba ukukhuthaza abalimi ukuthi bathuthukise amandla okukhiqiza izimpahla eziningi ngeqophelo eliphezulu kanye nenani ukuze bahlale bencintisana.
“Singakwazi ukukhiqiza okuningi kakhulu…kodwa izindleko zokukhiqiza izimpahla nezinsiza e-Jamaica kumele zishintshe kakhulu ukuze sikwazi ukuncintisana. Ukuncintisana kwamanani kubalulekile ukuze ukwazi ukumunca isidingo sezokuvakasha nezinye izimboni zalolu hlobo.
Singahlala sikhuluma ngokuthi yini engenziwa, kodwa kufanele sakhe indlela yokwenza ukuthi kwenzeke. Izindleko zethu kumele zibe ngaphansi. Amanani ethu kufanele ancintisane. Izinga lethu kumele libe sezingeni eliphezulu futhi ukutholakala kwethu ekuhlinzekeni kufanele kuhambisane,” kusho uNgqongqoshe.
Ephawula ngempumelelo yalolu hlelo, u-CEO we-RADA u-Peter Thompson, wabelane ngokuthi kusukela kwasungulwa i-ALEX, isibalo sababambe iqhaza kanye nezindaba zempumelelo zilokhu zikhula ngokuqhubekayo.
“Besibheke abalimi abangu-200 esivivinyweni kodwa sesizuze abangu-400. Isibalo sabathengi nabadayisi ebesihlosile sasingu-80 kodwa manje sebengu-100. Sixhume amahhotela angu-55, abadayisi abangu-8, izindawo zokudlela ezingu-7, ama-agro-processors angu-20. kanye nezitolo ezinkulu eziyi-10. Izibalo zisakhula,” kusho uThompson.
Umnyango Wezokuvakasha, ngeSikhwama Sokuthuthukisa Ezokuvakasha ulungise i-ALEX Center futhi wathola inkontileka nonjiniyela wewebhusayithi ngezindleko ezingu-$7,728,400.
Ngalesi sikhungo sokushintshisana, abalimi bazokwazi ukufinyelela endaweni ebonakalayo ezinikele ekushayeleni ucingo noma ukuthumela i-imeyili umkhiqizo abanawo wokuhlinzeka umkhakha wezokuvakasha. ISikhungo sizobe sesimaketha lolu lwazi emkhakheni wezokunakekelwa kwezivakashi futhi sinikeze usizo kwabanye ababambiqhaza ababalulekile bezolimo.
UNgqongqoshe uphawule ukuthi umgomo omkhulu kuzoba ukwandisa ngamaphesenti angama-20 isibalo sabalimi abanobudlelwano obuqhubekayo bezohwebo nomkhakha wamahhotela nezokuvakasha kanye nokunciphisa ngo-15% ukuthengwa kwemikhiqizo emisha evela kwamanye amazwe emkhakheni wamahhotela nezokungcebeleka.
