Almost 19 kilometres of farm roads are to be repaired in Manchester and St. Elizabeth between now and March 26 this year, at a cost of $81 million. This was noted by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, after he toured some of the roads on Wednesday, January 24. “The Ministry...

The Government has embarked on a programme to expand irrigation on a number of farmlands located at the southern part of the country. “The efforts of this Government to expand irrigation is not only admirable, but critical. We are starting with Essex Valley, and there are also initiatives afoot to significantly improve irrigation in Southern St. Catherine and Clarendon, which...

Member of Parliament for East Rural St. Andrew, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, says coffee farmers in the area are looking at various options to expand the industry. She noted that there is understanding among the farmers that “beans alone will not cut it and they have to explore various options for the product”. “We would like to expand the...

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries is to provide $100 million in support to farmers affected by the recent heavy rains in Portland, St. Mary and Trelawny. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, has explained that these three parishes experienced extreme flooding, not only causing agricultural damage of over $343 million but also significant infrastructure damage, such as farm...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says an entrepreneurial training and coaching programme to assist local farmers to better understand the tourism industry, will be introduced in the first quarter of this year. The programme will enable the farmers to tailor their production, distribution and logistics to match the requirements of businesses in the hotel and tourism sector. “It is really...

The Government’s pre-shipment inspection regime for imported used motor vehicles, which will provide greater protection for consumers, comes into effect on February 1. Under the regime, the Government has employed the services of a company out of Japan, which will examine all used vehicles before they are shipped to Jamaica. Making the announcement today (January 23), at the Ministry in...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says the pilot of the Agriculture Push-Start (APS) programme, launched in Guys Hill, St. Mary in October, is progressing well. Under the initiative, being undertaken in collaboration with the Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages (PROPEL) project, among other partners, approximately...