The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has allotted $79 million to procure water tanks and drip irrigation hoses for farmers. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, who made the disclosure during a recent post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, said the items should be available by the end of March, following which distribution will begin. The Ministry has distributed 171...

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, on Thursday (February 20), broke ground for the building of a modern cold storage facility at a cost of $123,823,965 (approximately US$814,631). It will be established on the site of the greenhouse cluster in Content, Kirkvine in Manchester, and will benefit more than 1,500 farmers and producers. The project is being...

Approximately $650 million will be spent in the new fiscal year for the continued development of infrastructure and facilities to boost agricultural and tourism activities in rural communities across the island. The initiatives will be undertaken under the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) II, which aims to enhance access to markets and climate-resilient approaches for targeted beneficiaries in the tourism...

With the construction of the $574-million tilapia hatchery, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is looking to further boost the aquaculture sector with the production of freshwater prawns and the establishment of an ornamental fish farming project. This was disclosed by Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, during this week’s post-Cabinet press conference at Jamaica House on Wednesday (February 19)....

Several measures are being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining to ensure egg supply stability in the country and revitalise the industry, says Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green. “We would have distributed, up to the end of December, about 50,000 pullets, ready to lay hens, across our hardest-hit parishes. We have seen some challenges with the weather...

Farmers are being encouraged to conserve water as part of drought mitigation strategies during the dry season. With normal to below normal rainfall expected over the upcoming weeks, methods of keeping crops well-watered are crucial for farmers to preserve their investments. Senior Plant Health and Food Safety Officer with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Francine Webb, says techniques such...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is discouraging farmers from slashing and burning during the peak of the dry season, which lasts from February to April of this year. Slash-and-burn is the cutting and burning of trees to clear land for cultivation. With forecasts of normal to below normal rainfall during this time, conditions are ideal for the spread of...