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Agriculture continues to outperform other industries, showing 20.5 per cent real growth for the October to December quarter of 2009. Acting Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Pauline Knight, addressing the PIOJ's quarterly press briefing today (February 16) at the Institute's Oxford Road offices, credited the performance, which she said, is consistent with the previous four...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, says the Credit Reporting Bill that was approved by the House on February 9, will enable farmers to be integrated into a network that allows their track record to determine their credit worthiness. "This is an extremely positive development for the sector," Dr. Tufton remarked, in his contribution to the debate...

Six of Jamaica's major fishing beaches are to be rehabilitated, over the next three years, at a cost of $19 million, under the tripartite Improving Jamaica's Agricultural Productivity (IJAP) programme. IJAP involves the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. It comprises two components, focussing on expanding...

As part of relief efforts for earthquake-ravaged Haiti, members from the 4-H Club of the St. Martin De Porres Primary School in Gordon Town, St. Andrew, today (February 11), handed over non-perishable food items and clothing to the Salvation Army. Speaking to JIS News following a brief handing-over ceremony at the Salvation Army's Territorial headquarters in Kingston, Public Relations Officer...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in placing focus on the Clarendon plains as it seeks to develop a policy to identify and put the country's most arable lands into production. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, first revealed details of the agricultural land use policy last October. Chief Executive Officer of the National Irrigation Commission, Stanley Rampair, speaking at...

A total of 85 community-based Production and Marketing Organisations (PMOs) have been registered by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), which will enable them to access funding and other support to benefit their members. Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, on Wednesday (February 10) presented RADA certificates of registration to 50 groups in...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has launched a new programme aimed at putting idle arable lands back into production. The programme dubbed Arable Lands Irrigated and Growing for the Nation (A.L.I.G.N) was launched Tuesday (February 9), at the Juici Patties Complex, Clarendon Park, Clarendon. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton, explained that the programme was...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has said that it is imperative that stakeholders in the fishing industry understand the rationale for the institution of laws to curb illicit practices in the sector. Dr. Tufton said that the move was in the interest of the preservation of the sector and legitimate stakeholders' livelihood, as well as wider marine...

Senator Norman Grant has criticized, what he describes as, the "very limited youth involvement" in the regional agricultural sector. "Surveys among farmers' organizations across the region indicate that the average age of farmers is increasing and, in most cases, is above 45 years old; the majority being over 60 years old," Senator Grant said. The Opposition Senator was speaking to...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Christopher Tufton, has endorsed the signing of four new contracts, Wednesday (February 3), under the European Union's (EU) Banana Support Programme (EUBSP), which aim at diversifying Jamaica's agricultural sector. The signing ceremony at the Bodles Research Station, Old Harbour, St. Catherine saw the inking of contracts totaling $169 million with Forest Conservancy, the Cocoa...

The North Clarendon Ginger Resuscitation Project was, on Wednesday (January 27) launched in Top Alston, in North West Clarendon. The project, one of approximately 50 community-based projects that received funding from the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in 2008, will impact approximately 1,300 farmers. Member of Parliament for North West Clarendon, and State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon....

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Clarendon Parish Office held its first Farmers Awards Ceremony on Thursday (Jan. 28) at the Juici Patties Complex, at Clarendon Park, in Clarendon. Twenty-four individuals and four entities received awards while two members of staff from the RADA Clarendon Parish Office were awarded for their contribution to the organisation. The farmers were awarded for...