The Jamaica 4-H Clubs has introduced a Youth in Fisheries Programme to attract more young persons and provide a supportive framework for the development of the fisheries sector. Among the primary objectives of the programme are training, promotion of opportunities within the sector, and enterprise development. Business and Entrepreneurship Development Manager, Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Villett Kelly-Bennett, told JIS News that...

Approximately 700 young people have received training and venture capital support through the expanded Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) managed by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs. This is contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s Economic and Social Survey Jamaica, 2021, which was tabled in the House of Representatives recently. Participants also received advanced training in business development and management,...

The completed eastern entrance for the Hope Royal Botanical Gardens in St. Andrew was officially reopened on Thursday, July 7. Construction of the entrance began in February 2022 and was financed by the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, to make the Gardens more attractive for visitors. Additional works are slated to be done, to include lighting throughout...

More than 1,000 young farmers are making strides in agriculture, with the help of the Jamaica 4-H Club’s Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP). The ‘starter’ entrepreneurship programme targets rural underserved youth between 18 and 35 years with an opportunity to launch their own agricultural enterprise. The programme provides training, in partnership with the HEART/NSTA Trust, in agricultural best practices,...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., has announced a sum of $50 million to be put towards strengthening the collaboration between local producers of organic fertilisers and the Ministry. Speaking at the inaugural ‘Farming as a Business’ conference, staged by the Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement (JOAM), at the University of Technology in Kingston on July 7, Mr. Charles...

State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Franklin Witter, is imploring local fishers to safeguard their lives, health and property by purchasing insurance through the different options available to them. A partnership between the Government and Advantage General Insurance has provided fisherfolk and farmers with access to insurance coverage for their vessels, vehicles and accessories. Additionally, the...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be launching a wheat flour substitution programme to combat the global shortage of the commodity and promote healthier eating among Jamaicans. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., in making the disclosure, said: “With the support of the Government of Cuba, [we will be] targeting breadfruit and cassava to create gluten-free flour as a...

Thirty-five young fishers across the island are to benefit from a ‘Training in Safety at Sea’ initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, through the Caribbean Maritime University. State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter, said this activity forms part of the Ministry’s drive to improve occupational health and safety in the fisheries sector. “Beneficiaries will be trained in navigation, small-boat...

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...