Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has heightened the call for more Jamaicans “from all walks of life” to venture into agriculture, emphasising that the sector is an important contributor to the growth of the Jamaican economy. “We should never limit agriculture, because the moment that we limit agriculture to being merely a manual and domestic endeavour, then we...

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries is encouraging farmers in sections of St. Elizabeth to employ beet army worm management strategies to counter the increase in the pest’s population. The beet army worm affects crops such as scallion and onion, and typically impacts the southern region of the island. The Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) says its latest...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the report on the rationalisation of sugar lands has been completed. The rationalisation initiative will see some sugar-cane lands being utilised for the growing of other crops, providing new investment opportunities for farmers. Minister Shaw said he has already received hundreds of applications for the production of mango orchards,...

Five small farmers have benefited from micro grants from the Jamaica Diaspora Agriculture Taskforce (JDAT) Investor Circle, which will go towards improving and expanding their operations. They are Mazie Bent from St. Elizabeth, Nicolette Smith-Francis from Clarendon, Clive Pullen from Clarendon, Lorna Fong from Manchester, and Patricia Parchment from Westmoreland. The recipients, who are involved in subsectors such as chicken,...

The second annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival will be launched at a press conference on January 15. The three-day event, which showcases the rich tradition of coffee production in the Blue Mountain region, was launched last year and featured Blue Mountain coffee, coffee-related products, food stalls, tastings, demonstrations and workshops. Held at Newcastle in St. Andrew in late March,...

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the Government is examining long-term solutions that will place the coffee industry in a better position. Among the solutions suggested is the reduction of infringements on the Jamaica Blue Mountain and Jamaica High Mountain coffee trademarks on the international scene, as well as locally, through the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory...

  Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw (centre), is in discussion with Chairman of Carib Cement Company Limited, Parris Lyew-Ayee (right); and General Manager, Carib Cement Company Limited Peter Donkersloot Ponce, during the official opening of the new concrete road in Litchfield, Manchester on December 16. Caribbean Cement rehabilitated 530 metres of road in the farming...