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Government's commitment to provide the fishing industry with the necessary support to ensure its sustainability has been underscored by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton. Addressing a re-opening ceremony for the recently upgraded Rio Nuevo Fishing Beach, in St. Mary, on December 10, Dr. Tufton said this commitment has been made out of recognition of the critically...

Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Karen Hilliard, has commended the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for its vision and dedication in establishing the Jamaica Agricultural Marketing Information System (JAMIS) website. She also highlighted what she described as the remarkable growth in the agricultural sector, despite the economic downturn. Dr. Hilliard was speaking at...

All stakeholders in the agricultural industry are now able to equip themselves with vital pricing information, which will enable them to make better decisions about the sale and purchase of produce. This has been made possible through the Jamaica Agricultural Marketing Information System (JAMIS) website, which was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, today (December 14), at its...

A decisive move by government to approve regulations that mandate the use of ethanol as a replacement for Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MBTE) in gasoline, has allowed Jamaica to meet an obligation to the European Union Sector Support Budget Programme for the transformation of the sugar industry. As a signatory to the African Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Cotonou Partnership...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has said that his Ministry has teamed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to reduce the number of import waivers granted for agricultural produce. "The Ministry of Agriculture has been working closely with me in cutting down on the number of waivers that importers want from the Ministry of...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw, has said that his Ministry is widening the Development Bank of Jamaica's (DBJ) credit window to facilitate lending to farmers through credit unions. "What we have done is to suggest to the Development Bank of Jamaica that some of the money that is to on lend, should not just go...

With sugar production officially on at Frome, Westmoreland, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has expressed confidence that the factory's 2009/10 production targets will be met. Dr. Tufton made the disclosure at a Press Conference at the factory on Wednesday (December 9), following a tour of the operations, including the fields, the mills, processing, production and bagging...

The success of the Jamaica Pride Project was extolled at a dissemination event held in Mango Valley, St. Mary, on Friday (December 4). The project, which has run from November 2008 to December 2009, is funded by the European Union (EU) Banana Support Programme Rural Diversification and Enterprise Programme. Jamaica Pride is a collaboration between Coventry University in the United...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, has called on farmers to register with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), in order to reap the many benefits and support that can be sourced through the entity. The State Minister made the call as he addressed the second staging of the Westmoreland Parish Expo and...

By the end of this month, a submission will go to Cabinet for a review of the Government's contract with former banker and business consultant, Aubyn Hill, to provide technical guidance for the divestment of the island's five sugar estates. This was disclosed by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, in the House of Representatives on December...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, is assuring that negotiations are proceeding for the divestment of the country's sugar estates and assets. "Up to this morning (Dec. 1) I was being consulted based on discussions that are taking place between Jamaica and Italy. It has been a constant flow of discussion and information gathering. The experts that...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries' Financial Access for Responsible Members (FARM) programme was launched on Monday (November 30), at the Claremont Anglican Church Hall in St. Ann. The programme, which is being carried out in collaboration with Approved Financial Institutions (AFIs), provides monetary assistance for farming projects. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, explained that the...