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Jamaica is seeking to boost cocoa production to put the industry on a solid footing and capitalise on the country’s reputation of being one of eight exclusive producers of fine or flavoured cocoa. Through the €375,000  Re-engineering the Cocoa Rural Economy Through Agro-processing, Eco-Tourism and Entrepreneurship (RECREATE) project, farmers in the parishes of Portland, St. Mary, St. Catherine, St. Thomas,...

Yet another imported shipment of food, deemed unfit for consumption, has been confiscated by the Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID) of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce. This time, the FSPID has seized some 22.73 metric tonnes of red kidney beans (red peas), valued at more than $2.6 million, imported from Belize by a local distributor....

The nation's farmers are again being urged to increase productivity in order to safeguard the sector's viability. This call came from Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, and Director General in the Ministry, Don McGlashan, at a plant nutrition seminar held on Tuesday (April 24) at the Bodles Research Station in St. Catherine. Minister Clarke lamented the "vast acreages"...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, has underscored the important role which genetic application must play in advancing Jamaica’s agricultural outputs. Speaking at a plant nutrition seminar at the Ministry’s research station at Bodles, St. Catherine, on April 24, Mr. Clarke said sector stakeholders are now cognisant of the fact that, increasingly, science and technology “must play a critical...

To curb the long standings courge of praedial larceny, soon after taking office in early January, the new administration in February re-launched the Agricultural Produce Receipt Book Programme. Under the initiative, all registered farmers and vendors are required to issue a receipt, identifiable by a unique number, to anyone who purchases agricultural produce, as proof of payment.  Speaking at the...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke has disclosed his intention to discuss with the principals of the Jamaica Producers Group (JPG), operators of St. Mary Banana Estate, how  the Government can assist in enhancing its multi-million dollar expansion plans. Mr. Clarke told JIS News that in a preliminary discussion he had impressed on the Chairman of the JPG,...

State Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Ian Hayles, says the Ministry is committed to taking the measures necessary to strengthen the sustainability of the country’s coastal resources. Speaking at the official opening of the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation's (C-CAMF) field office and station in Salt River, Clarendon on Thursday (April 19), Mr. Hayles noted that the coastal resources...

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...