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The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) has embarked on a 'National Red Peas Planting Project' aimed at revitalizing local production and reducing the high import bill for the commodity. Under the initiative, some 150 hectares of red peas will be planted over a 12-month period, to increase productivity by 30 per cent over the first year of the project, and grow...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is seeking to better utilise the data gathered through the Geographical Information System (GIS) method, as a key strategy to further boost agricultural productivity. To this end, a workshop was held at the Ministry’s Hope Gardens offices in Kingston on August 21, where GIS stakeholders discussed the way forward. The GIS is a computable...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, has informed that discussions are underway with chocolatier, Charbonnel et Walker Limited, to invest in a local company, which will lead to an expansion of the cocoa industry in the medium-term. Mr. Clarke made the disclosure at a press conference on August 20 at Jamaica House, to provide details about investment prospects...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, says there is great demand for Jamaican agricultural produce and agro-processed products in the United Kingdom (UK). He pointed out that the Ministry will be working with local farmers and producers to meet the demand in the market, and called on all the relevant stakeholders, including exporters, to make a concerted effort...

Productivity levels among the Caribbean's farmers are expected to be significantly boosted with the implementation of a $20 million Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)-funded project, dubbed the: ‘Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages' (PROPEL). The five-year project aims to position some 28,000 small farmers in over eight Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, to provide an adequate and...

Newly elected President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Senator Norman Grant, said that the organisation will work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to substantially reduce the country’s food import bill, which stood at nearly US$1 billion in 2011.      “We think that the fact that we have about 50 per cent of our arable land still idle,...

Jamaica is one of four Caribbean countries set to benefit from a US$25 million pilot project, to be funded and implemented by the Canadian Hunger Foundation in the region over the next two years, aimed at building marketing capacity. Speaking  at  Saturday’s (August 4) opening of the 60th Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, at the Denbigh Showground, May Pen,...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is looking to tap into the export earning potential of the local cattle industry, specifically its genetic material. This is in response to demand for genetic stock from Jamaica's four indigenous cattle breeds – the Red and Black Polls, Brahman, and Hope – by several countries, seeking to enhance the quality of their stocks....

Come September, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be extending the provision of fruit juices under the School Feeding Programme to all 136,000 students in 850 schools served by Nutrition Products Limited. State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Ian Hayles, in his presentation in the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on July 25, said the Ministry...

The Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries and Education are collaborating to enhance the application of agricultural science in the secondary school curriculum. State Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Ian Hayles, in his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (July 25), said initiatives will commence this year, when his Ministry moves to conclude arrangements to...

Noted agriculturalist, Marjorie Stair, is urging residents of St. James to look to opportunities in agriculture, noting that despite the challenges, the sector remains viable. Mrs. Stair, who was among a group of presenters at a 'Jamaica 50' symposium and exhibition held on Monday (July 23) at the Montego Bay Civic Centre, said that many industries, including tourism, depend on...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Ian Hayles, is imploring all Jamaicans to support the local agricultural sector by buying and eating Jamaican products. “I am appealing to all Jamaicans, rich and poor alike show how much you love Jamaica; show us your level of patriotism; show us brand loyalty and buy Jamaican,” he urged....