Jamaica’s coffee industry stakeholders are being encouraged to explore the prospects of creating a wider array of value-added products from the commodity. Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, made the call as he welcomed patrons to the eighth staging of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival at Hope Gardens in Kingston on Saturday (March 1). Mr. Bartlett said while much emphasis...

The aroma of freshly brewed Blue Mountain Coffee filled the air at Hope Gardens in Kingston on Saturday (March 1), as Jamaica’s premier coffee festival returned for the eighth year. The Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival, previously staged in Newcastle, St. Andrew, was moved to the larger venue, allowing for an expanded celebration, with over 60 vendors offering a diverse...

The Government is working to introduce a climate-resilient coffee variety by 2026, in a bid to combat the effects of climate change on Jamaica’s coffee crop. The announcement was made by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green. He was speaking at the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival’s Farmers’ Trade Day held at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium at...

Amid global challenges facing the world, Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Orville Palmer, has reiterated the importance of safeguarding Jamaica's food security. Speaking at the Ministry’s Plant Quarantine/Produce Inspection (PQ/PI) Branch Annual Importers Forum on Wednesday (February 26), Mr. Palmer stated that it's important for stakeholders in the agricultural sector to understand what's happening...

Efforts to enhance the resilience of the agricultural sector and coastal areas will continue in the new fiscal year, supported by a $249-million allocation. Provision for this amount has been made in the 2025/2026 Estimates of Expenditure which were recently tabled in the House of Representatives by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams. The project, which...

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, says local Irish potato farmers are primed to produce sufficient yields to boost national outputs significantly for 2025 and beyond. “Despite the challenges they face, our farmers have buckled down in a meaningful way, putting in the work and should soon be seeing the rewards. I am really impressed, especially with...

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) has launched a project designed to provide local and regional farmers with clean sweet potato planting material for improved production. The ‘Next Generation Sweet Potato Production in the Caribbean’ Project was launched during a ceremony at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston on Wednesday (February 26). This initiative is being implemented over four...