Bamboo is being explored as a possible alternative to the production of plastic and polystyrene containers as the Government embarks on a policy to ban the use of the materials. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, said the Government will be looking closely at the potential of the bamboo sector in...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, has reiterated that some lands that were once used for sugar-cane production will soon be rationalised for the growing of other crops. Speaking at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Employee Engagement Conference 2018, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on Monday (October 22), the Minister said the...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, has expressed a commitment to standardising the expanding bamboo industry in a way that encourages investment and safeguards protected bamboo spaces. The Minister, who was addressing a JIS Think Tank on Wednesday (October 17), said a number of local and international investors have expressed interest...

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon Audley Shaw, says the Government remains dedicated to strengthening the country’s regulatory, standardisation and conformity framework to facilitate trade, accelerate economic development and improve the quality of life for all Jamaicans. His remarks were delivered by Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Andrene Collings at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) 12th annual...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, is calling for a ramping up of private-sector investment in agriculture in order to ensure the nation’s food security and to meet global demand. This comes against the background of projections that world food needs will increase significantly over the next 32 years. “It is projected that by 2050 the...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, has called on farmers to utilise new irrigation technology to improve crop quality and to increase production. Mr. Shaw said of the close to 200,000 acres of irrigable lands in Jamaica, about 12 to 13 per cent have been irrigated, adding that it is an issue that needs to be...

A new Fisheries Act, aimed at further safeguarding the local sector, was passed in the Senate on October 12. The Bill, which will replace the Fishing Industry Act of 1975, will establish the legal and regulatory framework that creates the enabling environment for the sector’s sustainable growth. This includes ramping up measures to tackle poaching and unregulated fishing in Jamaican waters....