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Certificates  have been presented to 27  young men, following their completion of a 16-hour training course in hand-held tractor operation, under the Employment Creation Programme. The programme, which is spearheaded by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), is part of ongoing efforts to create jobs for Jamaicans across the agricultural sector. Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, said the...

The Government has signed an $8 million contract with Pricewaterhouse Coopers to conduct operational audits of the Sugar Industry Authority (SIA) and the Sugar  Industry Research Institute (SIRI). The contract was signed by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke and Director, Pricewaterhouse Tax and Advisory Services Ltd., Adrian Tait, at the Ministry’s Hope Gardens offices, in Kingston, on...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, has urged farmers who want to access loans from financial institutions, to be guided,  so that  the correct decisions can be made that will benefit them. In the same vein, he implored farmers to take the requisite steps to adequately prepare themselves, when seeking to access those loans. The Minister was speaking at...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, has hinted at exploring the relevant provisions of the Land Development and Utilisation Act (1966), in order to get more of the country’s idle arable lands into cultivation. “There are systems within the structure that can deal with it. There was an aspect of it which spoke about idle land and idle land...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is looking to set up farmsteads of up to 10 acres, complete with starter units, as a means of attracting young people into agriculture. This was disclosed by portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, during Thursday’s (April 12) launch of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs National Achievement Expo at the organisation's headquarters at 90 Old Hope...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, is appealing to farmers to step up production levels and for consumers to consume more local produce to cut the food import bill, which is running at approximately US$800 million per annum. He noted that while all food needs cannot be adequately met at current levels of production, studies have shown that...

Local banana growers across the island are set to benefit from the availability of a new variety of the plant, which promises an increase in cost efficiencies by as much as 30 per cent. The new variety of bananas and plantains, known as the Honduras Foundation for Agricultural Research (FHIA) variety, is said to be more resistant to the dreaded...

President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Glendon Harris, says Farmers’ Month 2012 will feature mainly field days and training activities. “We are of the strong belief that training is one of the direct means to empower our farmers to increase productivity and, as a result, during this year’s Farmers’ Month, we will be focusing our energies on field days...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has launched a new variety of disease resistant and higher yielding bananas and plantains, which are expected to facilitate increased cost efficiencies by 30 per cent for local banana farmers. It is also expected that the new crops will help to create a sustainable value added market within three years. The bananas and plantains,...

A new local tomato paste is to be introduced to the market soon, as the Government moves to decrease the level of imports of the commodity, says State Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Ian Hayles. He was addressing the launch of Farmers’ Month, at the downtown Kingston offices of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, on April 4. "Over the short,...

A number of agricultural stakeholders in St. Elizabeth are lauding the rainwater harvesting project being undertaken in Lititz, noting that it has brought hope of increased yield for farmers, who have long suffered the effects of seasonal drought conditions. The $4.5 million project now underway and is slated for completion in June, involves resuscitation of a six million-gallon catchment tank...

The fish that once seemed untouchable with its defensive spines, has now proven conquerable, quickly whipped up into a delicious dish, the lionfish could easily become the seafood of choice for many a discerning palate. With endless methods of preparation, and fast becoming the main ingredient in many exotic dishes, the lionfish has been dubbed “the Caribbean’s new delicacy” in...