Irish potato imports have declined by more than 75 per cent since 2008, under the Government’s deliberate strategy to ramp up production. Imports have fallen from 9.3 million kilograms to 2.2 million kilograms in 2013. At the same time, the country’s national self-sufficiency levels increased from 32 per cent in 2008 to close to 90 per cent in 2013. “The...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is engaging credit unions and other financial entities, to provide assistance to Irish potato farmers, through the introduction of a crop lien facility. Supported by firm marketing contracts, the Ministry is pushing the crop lien mechanism, as a mainstream strategy for financing agricultural production. This is the model which is to be used in...

Cabinet has approved another $95 million to provide assistance to the agricultural sector in the wake of severe drought conditions which affected the island from January to July of this year. Of the sum, $50 million is to be spent immediately, while the remainder is to be used during the first quarter of the 2015 calendar year. Acting Agriculture and...

The local pig/pork industry continues to have great potential for growth and ongoing development, despite the many challenges facing the sector. This was stated by outgoing President of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association, Delroy Manya, when he presented the Director’s report at the association’s 12th annual general meeting, at the Golf View hotel in Mandeville, on September 25. He informed...

Local farmers are being urged to safeguard their pigs against the deadly Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus (PEDv), by President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jamaica Broilers Group, Chris Levy. The virus was first diagnosed in the United States in April, 2013. Since then, it has spread to 30 states and is responsible for more than seven million deaths in piglets. PEDv...

Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dervan Spence, has lauded local pig farmers for creating a “self-sufficient pork industry”. Mr. Spence, who was speaking at the 12th annual general meeting of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association (JPFA), held on Thursday (September 25), at the Golf View hotel in Mandeville, said Jamaica produces nearly 10 million kilograms...

Chief Technical Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dervan Spence, has informed that under the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS), all animals, including pigs, sheep and goats, will be tagged. Mr. Spence said that while much attention has been placed on the tagging of cattle as part of efforts to combat praedial larceny, all animals will eventually be...

Senior Research Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Adrian Burke, is encouraging more Jamaicans to get into the business of planting fruit trees. “They are a very good economic source of revenue, and they are also very nutritious,” he stated. Dr. Burke was addressing the recent launch of the ‘Trees That Feed in Schools’ project at the...