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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...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Christopher Tufton, said that the Ministry will be focusing efforts on helping farmers with water management this year, given the frequency of droughts across the island. He was speaking at a press briefing at the Ministry's Hope Gardens office yesterday (February 2), where he reported that Jamaica experienced below average rainfall in nine of...

The St. Mary 4-H Clubs Parish Advisory Council and Leaders' Association will be staging the annual Parish Achievement Day celebration at the Oracabessa High School, St. Mary, on Tuesday (March 30). The days' events will begin at 9 a.m. and will include competitions in public speaking, 4-H Boy and Girl of the Year, home economics, environmental and agricultural events and...

A year and a half after starting a Cassava Production Project at the Tamarind Farm Correctional Centre, the Department of Correctional Services is planning to increase the current acreage under production to 90 acres, due to the success of the project. The project, which engages 22 inmates in cassava cultivation, began with an initial 15 acres but the area under...

Preliminary figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have shown that the agricultural sector continued expanding in the last quarter of 2009, ending the period with an overall 23.1 per cent increase in production over the similar period in 2008. The Ministry has calculated that the growth over the October to December quarter led to a 20.5 per cent...

A total of $8.3 million has already been disbursed to some 32 farmers in St. Ann to carry on crop production, under the Financial Access to Responsible Members (FARM) programme. Manager for the St. Ann Branch of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Pedro Worghs, told JIS News that since the launch of the FARM Programme in the parish, a...

The Ministry of Agriculture, today (January 26), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the World Bank, to evaluate the feasibility of market-based weather risk management practices for the coffee industry. The feasibility study will specifically involve farmers operating in the Blue Mountain region. Speaking at the signing at the Ministry's Hope Gardens headquarters, in Kingston, Minister of Agriculture, Hon....

With the Jamaica 4-H Movement joining in the show of generosity to the people of Haiti, its western Jamaica wing is supporting the national effort with a regional collection drive launched on Monday (January 25). With over 11,000 clubbites in some 196 registered clubs in the western region, covering the parishes of St. Ann, Trelawny, St. James and Hanover, the...

Harvesting operations have resumed at the Frome Sugar Factory in Westmoreland, following the suspension of reaping earlier this month because of bad weather conditions. Persistent rainfall during the December to January period led to the suspension of harvesting operations at Frome for about 10 days, to allow the fields to dry out, so as to improve the sucrose content of...