Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says the agricultural sector is expected to grow by 30 per cent for the final quarter of this year, ending December 31. Speaking recently at an Irish Potato Stakeholders’ Seminar in New Market, St. Elizabeth, Mr. Hutchinson said there has been significant growth in production...

Goat and sheep farmers are being urged to take steps to increase the production of meat. This is in order to satisfy the high demand of distributors, who are being encouraged to support local production instead of importing, said Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Reginald Budhan. He said data provided by the Health...

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Reginald Budhan, has underscored the need for large-scale investments in Jamaica’s small-ruminants industry. This, he said, is in order to facilitate the expansion of the subsector by increasing the size of goat and sheep herds and diversifying outputs to include by-products such as cheese and milk. “The production...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, says the annual Minard Livestock Show and Beef Festival in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, is a clear demonstration that agriculture is alive and well in Jamaica. Addressing the 17th staging of the event on November 10, the Minister noted that agriculture sometimes finds itself on the ‘back burner’ of “our...

The Government is exploring a range of non-traditional products to market overseas, as part of a deliberate strategy to expand exports. Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dermon Spence, said there is high demand for sweet potato, melon, mango, pineapple, yam, dasheen, pepper, pumpkin, herbs, spices and nutraceuticals. He credits the demand to a...

Farmers and persons living in areas that are susceptible to catastrophes can benefit from insurance coverage under a policy developed by GK Insurance. The Livelihood Protection Policy (LPP) covers loss of income due to heavy rains or high wind speed. Assistant Manager in charge of Strategy and Business Support at GK Insurance, Jordan Tait, said the scheme is aimed at...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has mandated the Agro-Investment Corporation of Jamaica (AIC) to focus on expanding the agriculture sector and creating an environment for investment. “There are some critical things that we have to look at such as how do we get investments for special zones for agriculture, including the development of agro-parks,” he said. “Also, getting...