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Agriculture and the financial services sectors recorded growth during the last quarter of 2008/09 (January-March, 2009), Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wesley Hughes, has confirmed. Dr. Hughes told today's (May 18) quarterly media briefing of the PIOJ at its head office in Kingston, that agricultural output increased by 10 percent, while the financial services industry...

The Jamaica Cocoa Farmers Association (JCFA), in conjunction with International Co-operative Development Association/Volunteers in Overseas Co-operative Assistance (ACDI)/VOCA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is staging its first cocoa stakeholders consultation session on Tuesday (May 19) at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, starting at 9 a.m. The workshop, sponsored by USAID through its Protected Areas and...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) today (May 14) launched its toll free number 1-888-429-5723, which will enable farmers to access valuable information without being concerned about the cost. Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of RADA, Alexander Powell said it is expected that the toll free line will not only help to reduce farmers' communication expenses, but will allow for quick access...

The Government is pursuing talks with overseas stakeholders, in a bid to determine the fate of the three bauxite plants whose operations have been scaled down. Activities at the plants - West Indies Alumina Company's (WINDALCO) operations in Ewarton, St. Catherine and Kirkvine, Manchester, and Alumina Partners (ALPART) in Nain, St. Elizabeth - were scaled down earlier this year by...

Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Marc Panton, has called for greater public awareness of the need to reverse the environmental degradation occurring in the society. Giving the main address at a World Earth Day Exposition, at Castleton Gardens, St. Mary on Friday (May 8), Dr. Panton said there are too many instances of deforestation,...

A ginger project costing some $1.5 million is to be established at Top Alston, in North West Clarendon. This is one of three National Labour Day Projects endorsed by the National Labour Day Planning Committee. The other projects are the installation of a multi-purpose court in Riversdale, St. Catherine, and the sprucing up of the St Ann's Bay Hospital. In...

AGROFEST 2009, the annual agricultural show and exhibition staged by the Kingston and St. Andrew Association of Branch Societies of the Jamaica Agricultural SocietY (JAS), will be staged on the grounds of Jamaica College, Hope Road, Kingston, on Saturday, May 23. The announcement was made today (May 9) by President of the JAS, Senator Norman Grant, at the official launch...

An interesting feature of rural life is the simple, unspoiled existence of persons who have come to devise creative ways of surviving under challenging circumstances. For the farmers of Duff House and New Forest, in South Manchester, farming has long been their main economic activity. This area, bordering the bread basket parish of St. Elizabeth, is traditionally known for the...

More than 420 farmers in Manchester, who are members of the New Forest/Duff House Water Users Association, are to have improved access to irrigation water to boost the production of crops. Under a $228 million (US$2.57 million) project, which is being undertaken under the National Irrigation Development Programme (NIDP), five production wells will be constructed in the New Forest/Duff House...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has stepped up activities geared towards safeguarding the island's livestock population against a possible outbreak of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus. Director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry, Dr. Osbil Watson, said that animal disease surveillance, laboratory diagnoses, and farmer education and public awareness programmes, which have been ongoing over the past several months,...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, will highlight opportunities for investment in Jamaica's agricultural sector at a seminar slated for May 12 in New York City USA. Themed, 'Farming is Back', the session, which is being organised and hosted by the Jamaican Consulate in New York, will focus on production, post harvest processing, greenhouse technology, among other...

Ebony Park HEART Academy, in Clarendon, one of Jamaica's chief agricultural training institutions, is well on its way to ensuring the country's food security, through its agro-processing operations. The institution has embarked on a drive to minimise wastage of agricultural produce, by processing an array of products, including jams, jellies, hot pepper sauce and tomato paste. At the recently staged...