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Three farming groups, which benefited under the Organization of American States (OAS)-funded Rural Youth Capacity Building and Business Development Project (YOUCAB), were on June 14, 2012 presented with equipment as a contribution to the development of their business ventures. The presentation, made at the closing ceremony for the project at the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) Hope Gardens offices, comprised stainless...

Members of the St. James Parish Council have placed tourism and agriculture  at the top of their agenda in meetings, and at Committee deliberations. This was stated by Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Glendon Harris, at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, held at the Montego Bay office of the agency, on June 13. The Mayor explained that  those two areas  provide...

State Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Ian Hayles, has welcomed the implementation of two projects by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), which seek to enhance the production of roots, tubers, vegetables and herbs in the region. “These projects are a step in the right direction as they are aligned with the Ministry’s strategic growth areas; onions,...

The Government will be seeking to collaborate with seafood distributor, Rainforest Seafoods, to assist with improving the output and consumption of products within the local aquaculture industry. This was stated by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, during a tour of the seafood distributor’s new facilities at 67 Slipe Road in Kingston, on Tuesday June 12. He said...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is injecting US$2.5 million into initiatives to improve production of small ruminants. The money is being provided through the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) project, and will go towards efforts to improve breeding, provide training, develop the value chain, and expansion of herd through rapid multiplication techniques. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, in his...

Cabinet has approved the rationalization of the regulatory aspects of the Coffee Industry Board, the Cocoa Industry Board and the Export Division, to be consolidated into one administrative structure. Agriculture Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, who made the revelation during his recent budget presentation, said the Ministry is now in the process of recruiting a consultant, “with significant expertise and experience...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be spending some $39 million on marketing, training and rehabilitation initiatives in the fisheries sector this year. Through resources from the Fisheries Management and Development Fund, some $22 million will be allocated to undertake a marketing and promotion drive, training and capacity building of fish-farmer groups. Additionally, $17 million will go towards rehabilitating...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, said the Ministry will be working with farmers to get more local produce into the National School Feeding Programme to reduce cost and improve the nutrition of students. “Our farmers are going to be asked to work in clusters to provide some of the nutrition for our school children. We (are) going...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be intensifying its farmer registration programme this year, as it moves to arrest the scourge of farm theft. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, in his recent budget presentation, informed that some $6 million will be used under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) to employ some 100 people to undertake farmer registration and...

Animal feed and raw food and vegetables are being retained on the list of items being exempted from General Consumption Tax (GCT), Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, has announced. At the same time, the Minister disclosed that, following consultations and discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, it is proposed that, effective July 1, an...

The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) have partnered to provide shrimp vendors in Middle Quarters, St. Elizabeth with customer service training and support to improve their operations. Some 40 vendors, who were trained under the TPDCo flagship programme ‘Team Jamaica’, were presented with certificates on Thursday (May 31), at a ceremony held at...

Some $50 million is being made available to banana farmers under a resuscitation programme being undertaken by the Government, as it looks to build a sustainable domestic banana industry and cut down on imports of banana chips. Making the announcement during the 2012/13 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on May 30, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger...