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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...

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...