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The Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) on Monday (January 14) presented the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) with inputs, which will assist with the restoration of its teaching facilities for protected agriculture. The inputs include seedlings, agro chemicals, shade netting, and galvanised piping material. The facilities suffered some damage from the passage of Hurricane Sandy in...

Mayor of Savanna-La-Mar, Bertel Moore, is appealing to persons setting illicit fires to cane fields across the parish to desist, as they are harming the industry. "It is high time for citizens of the parish, who are engaged in these unlawful activities year after year, to understand the serious and irreparable damage to the sugar industry and to the livelihood...

The South St. Andrew community of Trench Town, known as the cradle of reggae music, having produced some of the island's top musicians including reggae icon Bob Marley, is now yielding bounty of a different sort. In the heart of the community, lies a flourishing greenhouse, where residents are engaged in cultivating vegetables to feed their families, while earning an...

The school feeding initiative under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) will be implemented in institutions in sections of St. Andrew this month. The initiative, being executed by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), seeks to complement the National School Feeding Programme by providing healthy juices and snacks for children utilising locally grown fruits and vegetables. Speaking to JIS News,...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, says restructuring of the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), now underway, is to improve its effectiveness in addressing the needs of the industry. “We have sought to separate the board in terms of administration from the business aspect of it. Things are changing and we will have to change with the times,” Mr....

The Government continues to provide support for the sugar industry, with the latest being the provision of $4 billion over the next four years to increase yield, which should ensure that the sector remains profitable. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, who outlined details in a report circulated at a conference organised by the Jamaica Association of Sugar...

Over 300 young people, aged of 15 to 29, in four parishes islandwide, have benefitted significantly from the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) Rural Youth Employment (RUYE) project, since its inception in January 2010. The initiative, a partnership involving the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), is geared towards reducing the incidence of poverty, unemployment...

Some 51 agricultural specialists from the across the island were presented with certificates following their completion of a two-week irrigation training course, sponsored by the Israeli government. The workshop, which ran from November 26 to December 7, covered four main topics: automated pump management; on-farm irrigation design; rainwater harvesting techniques; and quality and application of treated effluent in agriculture. Speaking...

Young people representing schools and youth advocate groups across Jamaica and the Caribbean, on Thursday (December 6), participated in the Youth Session of the seventh annual Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management, at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St. James. The Youth Session, which was held under the theme: 'Youth - Champions for Disaster Resilience’,...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, has commended the Agricultural Credit Board (ACB) for 100 years of assistance to the agricultural sector. He said the Board has done yeoman's service, particularly as it relates to facilitating rural development. The Minister was speaking at the ACB 100th anniversary celebration and awards ceremony held on December 5 at the Four...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, said that $3 billion will be provided to sugar cane farmers over the next four years as part of a massive industry replanting and modernisation exercise. The intent is to boost cane production by some 800,000 tonnes, by increasing the amount of land under cultivation to 20,000 hectares, up from 12,000 hectares....

Braving the high seas to fish has been a way of life for many Jamaicans over the years, particularly those living along the coast. This activity has provided the population with a reliable source of well needed protein, and a livelihood for the many fisherfolk who engage in this practice on a daily basis. However, concerns have been raised about...