Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, says the Government has no intention of abandoning the local sugar industry. Addressing a ceremony in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, on June 4 to relaunch the parish’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Minister said that abandoning the sugar industry would be a retrograde step, and would negatively impact thousands of workers...

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) President, Dr. Warren Smith, believes agriculture can potentially transform Jamaica’s economy into one that engenders growth and prosperity. The sector is one of two, deemed pivotal to the Government’s economic growth and job creation agenda, which has benefitted from significant CDB funding support. The other is the micro, small and medium-size enterprise (MSME) sector. Dr. Smith...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica will be seeking to pursue farm tourism, which has a lucrative travel market worldwide. He noted that many tour operators have been pushing this market in various countries and that Jamaica is geographically poised to benefit from it. “The link between agriculture and tourism is something that we take very seriously and...

Farm tourism is fast developing into a lucrative travel market worldwide and one where Jamaica could easily gain a competitive advantage. General Manger of Round Hill Villas, Hanover, Omar Robinson, told a gathering of farmers at a press conference held recently at the Iberostar Hotel in St. James, that this is a niche market that could boost stopover arrivals. He...

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) President, Dr. Warren Smith, believes agriculture can potentially transform Jamaica’s economy into one that engenders growth and prosperity. The sector is one of two, deemed pivotal to the Government’s economic growth and job creation agenda, which has benefitted from significant CDB funding support. The other is the micro, small and medium-size enterprise (MSME) sector. Dr. Smith...

The Government is seeking to identify mined out bauxite lands ideally suited for farming and the provision of irrigation water. This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, who says this forms part of initiatives being undertaken to assist farmers in further boosting crop production. “We are going to...

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, is urging newly appointed board members of agencies under the Ministry to improve data collection and research to guide their decision-making. “This data will help the entities identify areas that are growing and areas that need improvement,” he said. Minister Samuda was addressing board members of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation...