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Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, says he expects the agricultural sector to continue its recovery from last year’s drought conditions. He was speaking yesterday (February 5), during a media briefing at the Prime Minister’s western office in Montego Bay, St. James.

Agriculture Minister Expects Growth To Continue

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, is expecting the agricultural sector to continue its recovery during this quarter. The Minister said that since 2012, the sector has experienced both “highs and lows,” beginning the recovery in...

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier speaking at an Office of the Prime Minister press conference in Montego Bay on Thursday February 5.

Govt Looking into Feasibility of Reviving Rice Cultivation

Minister of State for Agriculture, Labour and Social Security. Hon Luther Buchanan (right), converses with Mission Director, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Denise Herbol, during a graduation ceremony at the Girl Guides Association headquarters in Kingston, today (February 5). During the ceremony, 186 persons graduated from the Jamaica Rural Economy and Ecosystems Adapting to Climate Change (Ja REEACH) project’s climate-smart agriculture farmer field school and climate change action training programme.

Climate Change Mitigation Programmes Reaping Success – Buchanan

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier (right), signs an agreement to provide grant funding of $12.2 million to the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) to renovate its Dairy Unit. Waiting to afix his signature to the document, is Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites (second right). Also pictured at the head table (from left) are State Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Luther Buchanan and CASE Board Chairman, Ambassador Derrick Heaven. The agreement was signed during a ceremony at the school's Passley Gardens location in Portland on Friday (Jan. 30).

Government Provides $12.2 Million in Grant Funding to CASE

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier addressing the Pan-Caribbean Sugar Company Limited official launching ceremony for the 2014/2015 sugar cane crop, held at the Frome Estate in Westmoreland, on January 29.

Pan-Caribbean Sugar Company Lauded for Upgrading Frome Factory

11 years ago Agriculture

Government to Seek Financing for Four Agro-Parks in the West

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, says the Government intends to explore financing for new agro-parks in Western Jamaica. The agro-parks are expected to be located in Shettlewood, Hanover; Sunderland, Trelawny; Enfield, Westmoreland and Seven Rivers, St. James. The Minister informed that to date over $611 million has been invested in infrastructure, irrigation, roads and packing...

11 years ago Agriculture

$1.2 Billion Invested in West Under Sugar Transformation Programme

Approximately $1.2 billion has been invested to date, under the European Union (EU) funded Sugar Transformation Programme, in western Jamaica. Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, said the investments have been made across the parishes of St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland and Trelawny. Giving an update on the programme at the Jamaica House media briefing, held on February...

11 years ago Agriculture

JAS Establishing Marketing Information Centre to Assist Farmers

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) is establishing a Marketing Information Centre (JASMIC) that will assist farmers to market their produce in real time. Making his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on January 30, Senator Grant noted that this platform is now being developed by a consortium of software engineers from the Mona School of...

11 years ago AgricultureEducation

CASE to Commemorate 105th Anniversary

The College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) Alumni Association will commemorate the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Government Farm School in 1910, on January 30 and 31. In an interview with JIS News, President of the CASE Alumni Association,Webster McPherson, said Founders’ Day is used to sensitize the students about the journey the school has made and...

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier (right), along with Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Yasuo Tasake (left), and Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation (JADF), Vitus Evans, view photos of farming equipment donated by the Japanese Government to the West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) industry. The equipment, valued at $11 million, was officially handed over at a ceremony at the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA) on Winchester Road, in Kingston, on January 27.

11 years ago Agriculture

5,000 Acres of Cotton Could be Planted Within Four Years

The Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation (JADF) is actively pursuing the revitalisation of the West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) industry, with plans to have 5,000 acres of cotton under production within the next four years. Chief Executive Officer of the JADF, Vitus Evans, said the Foundation is expecting that the acreage for the 2015/16 crop will increase from the current...

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick
Kellier (left), examines banana being packaged for export, while on a visit
to the Agricultural Marketing Corporation (AMC) Complex in Kingston on
Friday (January 23). Others (from left) are: Head of Ashanti Limited, Noel
Dempster; Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, Donovan
Stanberry; St. Mary banana farmer, Noel Clarke; and Rita Hilton of Carita
Jamaica Limited.

11 years ago Agriculture

Agriculture Ministry Targets Banana Export Trade

As banana exports increase, the Ministry of Agriculture is moving to ensure that there is steady supply of high quality fruit for the overseas market. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Derrick Kellier, said the agro parks will be utilised in the process. “We are going to get the people in the agro parks, who have the benefit of irrigation and a lot...

Minister of State for Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Luther Buchanan (centre), exchanges pleasantries with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Assistant Representative, Dr. Gillian Smith, at the Jamaica Agricultural Society’s (JAS) national agricultural food security and economic summit held on January 22, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. Looking on is President, JAS, Senator Norman Grant.

11 years ago Agriculture

Jamaica to Achieve Self-Sufficiency in Irish Potato Production This Year

The country is on target to be self-sufficient in the production of table Irish potato by the end of 2015. “For 2015, we are aiming to produce 18 million kilograms of table Irish potato, which would mean that Jamaica would have attained 100 per cent self-sufficiency in production of table Irish potato,” said Minister of State for Agriculture, Labour and...