Onion and scallion farmers in St. Elizabeth and Manchester are being encouraged to increase monitoring of their fields for signs of infestation by the beet army worm. The appeal, from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), is in light of a surge in the population of the pest in the seven areas of the two parishes, which are usually affected....

Farmers in Manchester and St. Elizabeth are being advised by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries to take precaution against the beet armyworm, following a rise in the pest population. Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on Friday (Nov. 23), Deputy Director of the Crop & Plant Protection Unit, Michelle Sherwood, said that since the...

Approximately 19 farmers in Southern Manchester are now certified to export various crops to international markets, under the good agricultural practices programme, GLOBALGAP. The farmers, who are based at the New Forest/Duff House Agro-Park, were presented with their certificates on Friday (November 16), during a ceremony held at the facility, which followed a series of training. Minister of Industry, Commerce,...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says progress is being made in discussions involving the Government and private investors regarding the operation of the Monymsk and Long Pond sugar factories in Clarendon and Trelawny, respectively. He also stated that proposals and options for the processing of cane usually handled by Monymusk are being considered, while hinting...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector represents one of the greatest growth potentials for Jamaica. He noted that data from the Tax Administration of Jamaica (TAJ) for 2015 show that approximately 97.6 per cent of classified taxpayers are MSMEs, contributing approximately 18 per cent of taxes. In...

Female entrepreneurs are receiving support to improve their businesses through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Support (WES) Project. The four recipients selected for the first phase of the project are local business owners, Irene Moore from Irene’s Chicken and Eggs; Shernett Mott, Richly Done Hair and Nails; Yolande Gooden-Rhoden, Kumea’s Hair Perspective; and Dr. Charah Watson, proprietor of Kihara Cosmetics. They have...

The Jamaica 4-H Clubs has assisted more than 1,600 young people across the island to develop livestock farms over the last five years. Speaking with JIS News at the Minard Livestock Show and Beef Festival in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, recently, Executive Director of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Dr. Ronald Blake, said that most of the young people have become...