The Banana Board is urging farmers to implement measures to protect their holdings against the TR4 disease. Fusarium odoratissimum, more commonly known as the TR4 disease, is a threat to commercial varieties of the Jamaican banana, plantain and ornamental Heliconia crops. General Manager of the Banana Board, Janet Conie, told JIS News that the disease has the real danger or...

The banana and plantain industry enjoyed a very productive 2022, recording a 2.8 per cent increase in banana production and 18.7 per cent for plantain. Despite the effects of Tropical Storms Grace and Ida in 2021, the industry rebounded to produce more than 72,000 metric tonnes of banana and more than 60,000 metric tonnes of plantain in 2022. General Manager...

Cabinet has approved $100 million for the cadastral surveying of lands for the US$200-million Pedro Plains Irrigation Scheme. The national strategic project, which was announced by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is designed to take water from the Black River and use this to irrigate the plains and farmlands in the parish. Hundreds of farmers from communities in...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., on Wednesday (March 15) toured farms in St. Elizabeth to examine how farmers are using various techniques to preserve and grow their crops, despite the drought. Mr. Charles Jr. toured farms in the areas of Nain, Junction, Top Hill, Malvern, Flagaman, among others. Speaking to journalists during the tour, the Minister...

Hundreds of farmers in the communities of Flagaman, Greenfield, Southfield and Top Hill, in St. Elizabeth, are to benefit from a US$200-million Pedro Plains Irrigation Scheme, with which the Government is moving ahead. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2023/24 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, on Thursday (March 16)....

Farmers and other stakeholders are being encouraged to collaborate to explore the full potential of the local castor bean. Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, who made the call, said there is an opportunity to tap into the high demand for Jamaican Black Castor Oil, noting that the global market for the product...

Local farmers are being encouraged to support the agricultural sector’s modernisation by embracing ongoing changes across the industry.. Speaking during a ‘Coffee Farmers’ Trade Day’ expo at the University of Technology (UTech) in St. Andrew on Tuesday (March 14), Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., said farmers should not regard innovation and transformation occurring within the sector...

Coffee production increased by 5.1 per cent in 2022, when compared to the previous year, and is projected to continue an upward trajectory in 2023. This was revealed by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., while speaking today (March 14) at a ‘Coffee Farmers’ Trade Day’ expo, at the University of Technology (UTech) in Kingston. The Minister...

Approximately $36.9 million is to be disbursed immediately to the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, to assist in alleviating the impact of drought conditions affecting farmers. This was announced by Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., during a press conference at the Ministry’s Hope Gardens headquarters in Kingston, on Wednesday (March 8). He...