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The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, through its Export Division, is undertaking a spice development programme, which will target a number of spice crops for expansion and export. "Jamaica has a reputation for quality spices and we are trying to develop a spice industry," said General Manager of the Export Division, Sylburn Thomas.He told JIS News that the initiative is...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, says he is excited about the growth prospects for the sugar industry, noting that investors have been putting forward the necessary capital for the retooling of plants. He was speaking Wednesday December 15 at the official opening of National Rums of Jamaica Limited's state-of-the- art facilities at Clarendon Distillers Limited (CDL), located at Monymusk...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, yesterday (December 14) announced a $310.5 million emergency loan fund for coffee dealers, which will provide them with cash flow to meet capital requirements. Jointly funded by the Export/Import (EXIM) Bank and the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) the loan, which will be offered through the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), has...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has called on farmers to approach agriculture with clear management techniques as is done in other industries. "Agriculture is transforming, things are changing, and agriculture has to be demand- driven. Gone are the days when you grow and then hope that there is a market. We want you to become investors...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has underscored the pivotal and integral role of 4-H Clubs in advancing the Ministry's mandate islandwide, particularly relating to food security. Alluding to the organization's growth, which had seen evolved into a movement with 70,000 registered clubbites attached to some 550 clubs, the Minister contended that the 4-H movement is one...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with several partnering entities, for the management and protection of the country's marine resources, on Thursday (December 9). The agreement, which was signed at the Ministry, Hope Gardens, Kingston, is valid for the remainder of the fiscal year and is worth some $23 million. It was signed among...

Executive Chairman of the Sugar Industry Authority (SIA), Ambassador Derrick Heaven says while it is still unclear what impact the recent flood rains will have on the upcoming sugar crop, it is estimated that 150,000 tons of sugar will be produced and that all sugar factories, except for Long Pond, will be in operation. "What was known is that before...

Agro processors and suppliers of bulk fresh produce to end markets can now benefit from a $50 million Glut Management Fund, which is a pool of revolving loan funds available at concessionary single digit interest rates. To be administered by Agro-Investment Corporation (Agro-Invest), the Fund, launched at the office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in Kingston Tuesday (November...

Executive Chairman of the Sugar Industry Authority of Jamaica, Ambassador Derrick Heaven, says Monday's (November 29th) meeting of the London Sugar Group successfully strengthened the collaboration within the group, which is seeking to influence European Governments and the European Union (EU). The London Sugar Group represents the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and Least Develop Countries (LDC) sugar industries...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, on Wednesday November 24 launched the ginger resuscitation project, which aims to boost production of the crop for the local and overseas markets, and address the rhizome rot disease that has been plaguing the industry since the mid-1990s. Speaking at the launch held at the Bodles Research Station in St. Catherine,...

The agricultural sector has been given a $1.2 billion boost through a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which is to be used to fund the five-year Agricultural Competitiveness Programme. This loan agreement was signed on November 25, at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Sector, National Heroes Circle, between Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon....

The local citrus industry has received some much-needed assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to tackle citrus greening disease, which has been severely impacting the island over the past two years. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton and FAO representative for Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize, Dr. Jerome Thomas, this morning (November 16) signed a US$480,000...