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The 20 farmers affiliated with the Dromilly Agricultural Cooperative Society in Trelawny now have greenhouse technology, which is expected to boost their crop production. The facility and supplementary irrigation equipment were provided at a cost of approximately $2 million through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). Director of the CDF, Ms. Moveta Munroe...

Jamaican companies that participated in last month's International Food and Drink Expo in Birmingham, England, are reporting success in making new business contacts and promoting a range of local Jamaican food and drink products in the United Kingdom, European and wider international markets. Some 10 Jamaican companies covering a range of products including beverages; sauces, spices and condiments; breads, biscuits...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Donovan Stanberry, launched Farmers' Month activities Wednesday (April 7), with a charge to farmers' organisations to renew and restructure themselves. Explaining his call, during the launch at the Jamaica Agricultural Society's (JAS) office in downtown Kingston, Mr. Stanberry noted that oganisations, such as the JAS, needed to divorce themselves from commercial...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Hon J.C. Hutchinson, has challenged the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) to utilize its properties as grading and marketing outlets for farm products. Mr. Hutchinson said that the move would supplement attempts by his Ministry to assist farmers with the marketing of their produce, through the placing of marketing officers...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has said that he will be looking at measures to improve the horticultural industry, which has seen a decline since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Dr. Tufton, who was addressing the 47th staging of the St. Elizabeth Horticultural Society Annual Flower Show, held at Independence Park, in Black River, on April 5,...

In order to achieve an effective transition to a sustainable sugar cane industry, the government has set aside $857.6 million for the Sugar Transformation Project in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. As stated in the Estimates, the project aims to develop a sustainable private sector- led sugar cane industry by 2015; strengthen...

A project aimed at developing a technologically driven and modern agricultural sector has been allocated $66.3 million for the 2010/11 financial year. This is outlined in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. As stated under the Improving Jamaica's Agricultural Productivity Project, the objectives are to increase productivity and sustain production and marketing of...

Approximately 9.6 kilometres of flood-damaged farm roads in five parishes will be repaired this fiscal year, as work continues under the Reduction of Fluctuation in Export Exchange project. The parishes in which the work will be undertaken are Hanover, St. James, St. Catherine, Trelawny, and St. Ann. A sum of $128 million has been allotted for the project in the...

A total of $51.3 million has been allocated to the Rural Competitiveness Programme in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. The programme, which is funded by the Government and the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB), seeks to provide support that will result in the development of a modern, efficient and internationally competitive agricultural...

Some $129.5 million has been allocated to the Climate Change Adaption and Disaster Risk Reduction project this fiscal year as the government seeks to reduce the risk associated with natural disasters in vulnerable areas. This is contained in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. As stated in the Estimates, the project seeks to...

Efforts by the Government to increase agricultural production and farmers' earnings through improved irrigation management, is being boosted through a $193 million allocation to the National Irrigation Development Project. As stated in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives, the money will go towards the installation of pipes, fittings and appurtenances at New Forest/Duff...

As part of measures to improve the competitiveness of small coffee producers in the central and northern regions of Jamaica, a total of $23.4 million has been allocated to the Competitive Coffee Enterprises programme in the Ministry of Agriculture for the fiscal year 2010/11. As stated in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives,...