The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is urging farmers to carefully document damage to their farms, produce, and livestock. This effort is critical to supporting national damage assessment activities, particularly as access to several areas remains restricted following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Senior RADA Plant Health and Food Safety Officer, Francine Webb, noted that assessments remain ongoing as the...

Jamaicans can still buy coconut water from the Coconut Industry Board (CIB), on Waterloo Road in Kingston, despite the impact of Hurricane Melissa. In an interview with JIS News, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CIB, Shaun Cameron, said the Board is also pushing steadfastly to resume operations at farms in the west. “From a positive perspective and a productive...

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has charged the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Grace Kennedy (GK) Insurance team to have more farmers sign up for coverage under the GK Weather Protection Programme. He was speaking at the handover of a $2.88 million cheque to 98 RADA farmer beneficiaries under the programme at the Ministry’s...

The Agricultural Protection Branch (APB) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is ramping up efforts to intercept persons carrying stolen produce, meats and livestock that are slaughtered in an unsanitary way or in unregistered slaughterhouses. The move comes against the background of the Manchester Police recently intercepting a van on the Porous main road carrying cow carcasses. “Based on what...

The Coconut Industry Board (CIB) is focusing on recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Chief Executive Officer at the CIB, Shaun Cameron, told JIS News that coconut farmers suffered significant losses. “My farmers right across the board [were impacted], especially those in St. Elizabeth. I've had a farmer that lost everything, his agri-processing plant, everything. Farmers in...

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government is moving swiftly to get farmers back into production following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. “The reality is that this can’t wait, and as we seek to restore the livelihoods of people in the most impacted areas, the best way to do that is to get them...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is encouraging householders to adopt container gardening as a practical means of subsistence. Container gardening is a space-efficient and mobile method of cultivation that involves growing plants in containers such as pots, rather than directly in the ground. This approach is particularly well-suited for urban areas, where access to traditional garden space may be...