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Government is seeking to increase business between the tourism industry and the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, in a bid to boost the economy. Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says the linkages will boost local production and help to reduce the country’s import bill. Dr. McNeill was speaking at a stakeholders’ consultation at the Terra Nova Hotel...

Meat processors islandwide have been urged to modernize their facilities, in order to boost the output of by-products which can be derived from animals reared for consumption. Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, contends that this move will significantly reduce foreign exchange expenditure on by-product imports, which can be produced locally, while generating employment. Speaking at the Jamaica Social...

President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Senator Norman Grant, is calling for agricultural extension officers to be more fully integrated in the farming communities. “One way that we could see increased production and greater efficiencies in the agricultural industry is by placing agricultural extension officers to live and work in local farming communities,” he stated. Senator Grant was making...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, says the Government has entered into a $100 million arrangement with Jamaica Producers, the island's largest distributors of banana chips and ripe bananas. The loan is tied to the local farmers providing bananas to Jamaica Producers for the production of chips. In addition, he disclosed that the Ministry has set aside a ...

The Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation (HZPF) has received a well-needed donation of some $4 million, which will go toward protecting animals that are found only in Jamaica. The funds are being made available under the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, and will go toward the Zoo's biodiversity project, ‘The Establishment of Sanctuaries for Protected...

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB), Richard Miller is appealing to dairy farmers to access the $84 million in loans as well as grants that are available them. He says the funds will help them to improve and increase the quality and efficiency of their milk production, enabling the industry to become more competitive globally....

Some 2,000 fisher folk from six parishes have benefitted from the donation of safety gear, as part of the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI). The beneficiaries will also receive training under the initiative which is spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. An additional 400 fish vendors will receive igloos and training in food safety and sanitation, under the...

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...