Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says while Jamaicans across the island have shown care and concern by providing humanitarian relief to victims of Hurricane Melissa in the western region, greater emphasis must now be placed on the recovery of the national economy. He maintains that recovery from the category-five hurricane cannot rely solely on humanitarian relief, as...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) will host a livestock clinic at the O&W Construction site on Main Street in Clark’s Town, Trelawny, on Friday, December 5. In an interview with JIS News, RADA Livestock Specialist, Maxine Brown, said farmers will benefit from livestock health checks. “We will be partnering with Hi-Pro and other stakeholders who will be able to...

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has handed over six walk-behind tractors and six earth augers to assist farmers in hilly areas to address long-standing issues of labour shortage and mechanisation within the agricultural sector. Speaking at the handover ceremony on November 26 at the Amity Hall Agro-Park in St. Catherine, the Minister pointed out that the...

Delarno Small, a dedicated farmer from Bonnet District in Guys Hill, St. Catherine, is demonstrating resilience as he recovers from losses sustained during Hurricane Melissa and pursues significant expansion of his goat-rearing operation. The 23-year-old small ruminants farmer has been involved in agriculture his entire life but officially launched his own livestock venture during the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with just...

The Agricultural Protection Branch (APB) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is urging farmers to utilise the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS), as it will assist the police in reducing praedial larceny and catching the perpetrators. The NAITS system employs unique animal tags and passports to generate detailed records of each animal’s identity, owner, location, and movement. This...

Poultry farmer, Nadisha Simmonds-Small, has expressed gratitude for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining’s plan to rebuild the poultry sector, which sustained extensive damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, toured several farms in Bonnet District in Guys Hill, St. Catherine, on Thursday (November 20), where he saw the extent of the damage from...

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has announced a plan for the poultry sector, which was adversely affected during the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green disclosed that the ministry’s preliminary assessment showed that over 1.1 million birds have been lost — 458,000 layers and more than 700,000 broiler chickens. In comparison, Mr....