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The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is seeking the assistance of key regulators in the United States, to lobby the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on pesticide options. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, explained that following on the work of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) committee, several pesticides have been evaluated and proven effective; however, they are not approved by...

Some 50 key stakeholders within the agricultural sector are benefitting from a training initiative, as part of Government’s ongoing effort to ensure compliance with international food safety standards. The five-day course in good agricultural practices is being undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), through funding from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund...

Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited Group (CPJ), on Friday (February 15), officially launched the operations of its newest meat processing plant, situated at Montego Freeport, Montego Bay, St. James. The facility was officially opened during a ceremony held at the complex, which was attended by several officials and other guests, headed by Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke. The plant,...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, has commended the country’s farmers, noting that they are the unsung heroes of Jamaica. Addressing the 57th annual Hague Agricultural and Food Show, held on Wednesday, February 13 in Falmouth, Trelawny, Minister Clarke said despite drought conditions, farmers continue to produce high quality crops and livestock to meet the demands of the...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, has announced a $45 million crop production programme as part of the Government’s drought mitigation initiative for the sector. The programme, he said, will provide for the establishment of 645 hectares of select crops in 13 parishes to counter any shortfall in cash crops resulting from the severe dry conditions affecting the...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, says the production of sorghum in Jamaica augurs well for the future of the agriculture industry. He said that large scale cultivation of the crop will boost the livestock industry and also assist in reducing the sector’s almost $2 billion per year import bill. “We want to see how much of a...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, says Clarendon has the greatest potential to serve as a catalyst for the expansion of Jamaica’s sugar cane sub-sector, particularly among small farmers. Addressing Wednesday’s, February 6, contract signing and ground-breaking ceremony for the Springfield Sugar Barracks Relocation Project in the parish, the Prime Minister pointed out that Clarendon has over 2,000...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, has lauded Jamaica Beverages Limited (JBL) for the purchase of the Jamaica Citrus Growers Limited’s Bog Walk plant, noting that this acquisition will undoubtedly prove beneficial to the island’s citrus industry. “This acquisition was done in the interest of all concerned...this is a new relationship that is going to exist between the...

Ten farmers from four parishes across the island have benefited from contracts valued at $3.4 million to supply hot peppers to Grace Agro Processors. They hail from the parishes of Clarendon, St. Mary, St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine and form the most recent batch of farmers to profit from the ongoing initiative by GraceKennedy for the supply of the commodity...

Approximately 1,000 plantain and banana farmers are set to benefit from the provision of fertilizer and insecticide, under the European Union Banana Support Programme (EUBSP), valued at $13.5 million. The official handing over ceremony for the funds was held on January 30 at the Banana Boxing Plant, in Trinity, St. Mary. Addressing the function, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon....

Some 65 farmers from the parishes of Clarendon and St. Mary were presented with certificates on January 29, following their completion of the Jamaica Rural Economy and Ecosystems Adapting to Climate Change (Ja. REEACH) Cocoa Farmer Field School (FSS). The cocoa farmers - 16 from Bellefield in St. Mary and 49 from Brandon Hill, Wood Hall, and Park Hall in...

When the old Lyssons pavilion in Morant Bay, St. Thomas, is restored to its former glory, as planned, residents of eastern St. Thomas will have a brand new multi-purpose hard court equipped for basketball, volleyball and football. It is one of 14 facilities within the sugar growing areas islandwide that will be upgraded to enhance the physical and social well-being...