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Plans are in high gear for the 19th staging of the St. Mary Agri Expo, which is slated for April 16 and 17 at James Bond Beach. The annual show, which is sponsored by the St. Mary branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), is designed to showcase the best of agricultural production in the parish. Among the major attractions...

Work is proceeding smoothly on the Pedro Plains irrigation project in St. Elizabeth for which Prime Minister P.J. Patterson broke ground in January of 2005. The project forms part of the government's National Irrigation Development Master Plan (NIDP), which is being piloted by the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), with a view to increase farmer participation in the agricultural sector. The...

The Ministry of Agriculture has given its support to the development of the local organic agriculture sector through an investment of $20 million in the National Organic Agriculture Enhancement Project (NOAEP). The funds will assist with the development of a national policy on organic agriculture, international and local organic certification, as well as research and development. Speaking with JIS News,...

Farmers have been encouraged to make better use of modern technology, so as to obtain better yields. Speaking yesterday (November 29) at a special agricultural expo and field day for students at Lacovia High School, St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation (SEHF) Director, Dr. Randolph Watson stressed that it was high time for farmers in the country to take a more business...

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) is reporting that it does not foresee an extensive shortage of vegetables and pulses, in light of the recent rains, which has caused problems in the agricultural sector. As a result, the JAS is urging supermarket chains not to rush to import agricultural produce. Speaking with JIS News, President of the JAS, Senator Norman Grant...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), in its preliminary release, has reported that crops valued at $9.37 million were destroyed as a result of the recent heavy rains and flooding. While the northern parishes were not as badly affected as the southern, the parishes of Clarendon, St. Catherine, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. Elizabeth, Manchester and Westmoreland were most affected....

A large crowd turned up at the Ministry of Agriculture's Hope Gardens headquarters in Kingston this morning (Sept. 29) for the one-day exposition highlighting the country's food safety and food security system. Over a dozen booths were on display, showcasing the Ministry's various initiatives, projects and services, including its state of the art export facilities. The large turnout of supporters,...

Ask Roy Kennedy, a 65-year old life-time tenant farmer from Manchester what it is like to be actively engaged in agriculture and he will say "it is a very trying profession, subject to many hardships, but at times it can have some really good rewards". Mr. Kennedy has quite successfully grown a wide range of medium and short-term crops on...

The parish of Trelawny is about to engage in a goat upgrading project which should see a number of farmers benefiting under the agricultural development programme being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture. Parish Manager for the Trelawny branch of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Donald Robinson, told JIS News that the proposal for the goat expansion project...

Bee farmers, who qualify under the Beekeeping Revolving Loan Programme, will begin receiving the funds as early as the next two weeks. Under the programme, established bee farmers will receive a maximum of about $250,000 to commercialize their operations, which will include increasing beehives and purchasing additional equipment in a bid to boost honey production. The money will provide for...

Persons illegally importing honey into the island are being warned to desist, or face confiscation of their goods under the Beekeeping Act. According to Reginald Peddy, Chief Apiculture Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, there has been an influx of honey being brought into the island without proper authorization, and this practice was threatening the growth of the local industry....

Thirty young men and women will begin a period of apprenticeship this month under the Ministry of Agriculture's $3.5 million Beekeeping Apprenticeship Programme, geared at providing employment opportunities for those who have an interest in the industry. Hugh Smith, Senior Plant Protection Officer in the Apiculture Unit of the Ministry, informs JIS News that the first phase of the programme...