In 1996, Marilyn Headley made history by becoming the first female Conservator of Forests in Jamaica and the Commonwealth. “They used to say, you don’t look like a forester; so I would always say, how is a forester supposed to look?” she relates to JIS News. The appointment as head of the Forestry Department – all the more meaningful, as...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says $17.7 million has been allocated to assist farmers who were impacted by the beet army worm, especially in sections of Manchester and St. Elizabeth. This is in addition to the $118 million to provide assistance for some 10,000 farmers islandwide who were severely affected...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, says he is confident the agricultural sector will rebound to continue its growth contribution to the economy. The agricultural sector contributed 7.5 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016, but the heavy rains in May affected some 10,000 farmers, resulting in losses worth $800 million. Speaking at...

A call has been made for players in the coffee industry to utilise best practices for its sustainability. Making the call, Member of Parliament for East Rural St. Andrew, and wife of the Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Juliet Holness, says the industry is a mainstay of her constituency, and a major export commodity for Jamaica, hence the need for...

Farmers in South Manchester and South St. Elizabeth who have been affected by the beet army worm, have benefited from $17.5 million in support from the Government. The farmers have lost some 150 acres of scallion, tomato, cucumber, callaloo, onion, and beetroot to the pest. “We (are) assisting them with everything to get them back on their feet,” said Minister...

The Government is set to roll out a Scotch bonnet pepper programme in North East Manchester in the next few weeks. This was announced by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, during a meeting with Irish Potato Farmers at the Restore Pentecostal Church in Devon, Manchester, on May 17. He explained...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is urging farmers not to overuse pesticides on crops during pest outbreaks. “I want to remind farmers that they are to be guided by the recommendations on the labels,” Senior Plant Health & Food Safety Specialist, Francine Webb, told JIS News. She said that excessive use of chemicals can lead to the consumers, fieldworkers...