The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is putting in place a fisheries production incentive programme that will finance the development of new and underutilised fisheries and aquaculture resources in local fishing communities. The programme will begin with two community groups, one in Green Island, Hanover, and the other in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, with an intent to being extended islandwide. Speaking at...

The Scientific Research Council (SRC) is reporting steady progress in the study to develop coffee plant materials that are resistant to the leaf rust disease. Jamaica has recorded several outbreaks of the malady over the years, which have significantly impacted the coffee industry. Executive Director of the SRC, Dr. Charah Watson, informed JIS News that some coffee farmers have suffered...

The capabilities of the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St Catherine, have been bolstered with the provision of two Case IH Farmall tractors, valued approximately $15.6 million, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr, handed over the equipment to the Research and Development Division on Friday (June 24). The Division undertakes problem-solving engagements...

The nation’s farmers are to see an additional 4.5 per cent cut in the price of fertiliser, starting Thursday (June 23), by Newport-Fersan Jamaica Limited. The move brings to about 19 per cent, the total reduction in the cost of the key agricultural input to farmers, by the company, over the course of a month. In May, Newport-Fersan implemented a...

Anticipation is high for the return of the major Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show by the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), which was officially launched today (June 22). The 68th staging of the event follows a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will take place at its usual home, the Denbigh Showground in May Pen, Clarendon, under the...

Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) is encouraging diaspora members who have land in Jamaica to invest in agriculture and to incorporate technology in the sector, so as to improve yields and remove the sector's risk profile. “If that is done in a strategic way, we will be very far ahead,” Vice President of Marketing, JAMPRO, Gabriel Heron, said. Participating in a...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says the Ministry’s ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ campaign aims to drive resilience in the sector. Mr. Charles was making his contribution to a panel discussion held during a Ministers’ Summit at the World Free Zones Organization (World FZO) AICE Conference 2022, in Montego Bay, St. James, on Wednesday (June 15). “We...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is assessing the local honeybee stock for the presence of Africanised bees. State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter, said that, to date, “DNA samples have been collected for genetic analysis. Preliminary results have been received and a final report will be made to the stakeholders as soon as the DNA tests are completed in full”....

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is planting 2,000 fruit trees across the island in a bid to increase habitats for honeybees. The move comes as the vagaries of climate change, such as excessive rainfall and high wind, reduce the honeybees' access to nectar and pollen, thereby affecting the country’s output in honey production. State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter, said...