State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Luther Buchanan, says the Government will be intensifying its fight against praedial larceny, the incidence of which has dropped by 14 per cent since March. He warned that heavy fines will be meted out to those who continue to engage in the practice. Addressing farmers and stakeholders at the 16th...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Derrick Kellier, has again called on persons to desist from setting fires to sugarcane fields. He noted that a total of 524 fires have adversely affected cane production in the 2014/15 crop year. “This has resulted in the loss of some 172,685 tonnes or 3177.34 hectares of cane,” said the Minister. “Think of the difference...

The Government has announced measures to assist sugarcane farmers, who have been severely affected by drought over the past two years. Among the measures is a relief on loan repayment for farmers, who accessed funds under the Cane Expansion Fund. “Given the impact of the droughts of both 2014 and 2015 on farmer productivity as well as earnings, the Government...

Stakeholders in the sugar industry are being lauded for ensuring stability during recent work separation exercises, and the divestment of several sugar factories across the island. State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Luther Buchanan, who commended the various groups in the industry, including trade unions, said the collaboration can “defeat the new challenges we face.” “Against...

Agriculture, Labour and Social Security Minister, Hon. Derrick Kellier, says the Government is close to reaching an agreement with the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) in relation to the imposition of a cess on imported refined sugar. He made the announcement while addressing the 78th annual conference of the Jamaica Sugar Technologists at the Rui Hotel in Ocho Rios, St. Ann...

The Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit (PLPU) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is reporting a 14 per cent decrease in praedial larceny cases and farm theft, since the unit began operating in March. Head of the eight-month-old unit, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kevin Francis, said that to date they have prosecuted 133 offences, which include larceny of cattle, receiving...

Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) President, Senator Norman Grant, is pledging more to come from the entity in advancing the welfare of the farming community and the development of agriculture in Jamaica. “There is a lot more to come in terms of more service, more commitment to the development of the agricultural sector, the farmers and, by extension, the Jamaican economy,”...

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, has praised the over 8,000 farmers of St. James for their resilience in the face of severe drought conditions. He said that St. James contributed to the country achieving over 93 per cent of the domestic crop production target in 2014. “It is said that the brave may fall, but...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Derrick Kellier, has welcomed the launch of the first locally developed sorrel harvesting machine which, he said, will significantly reduce the cost and reaping time of the crop. “With the introduction of this machine, the de-seeding of sorrel will reduce, by at least 50 per cent, the time required by manual labour and will...