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Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, on Friday (February 13) reopened the Calabash and Great Bays fishing facilities in St. Elizabeth, which were done at a cost of over $10 million. Work on the projects included upgrading of gear sheds, installation of security grille, installation of electrical wires and meter box, to facilitate reconnection of electricity which was out for...

The agricultural sector recorded the most growth in the final quarter of 2008, Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wesley Hughes has disclosed. Dr. Hughes said that the 7.5% increase in real value added in agriculture, forestry and fishing, October-November 2008, was due largely to the lowering of some input prices and favourable weather conditions. He...

The Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, has acquired a motorcycle, which will enhance its capacity to manage and protect Jamaica's fisheries resources. Speaking Wednesday (Feb.11) at the handing over ceremony, at the Ministry, Hope Gardens, Kingston, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, thanked The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for donating the motorcycle. "One of the big challenges that the...

Some 2,000 farmers in four of the parishes hardest hit during the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav last year, are to benefit from the Ministry of Agriculture's US$3.2 million ($278.4 million) agricultural rehabilitation assistance programme, which is being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Agriculture Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, and Director of the USAID Mission in...

The Consulate General in New York in the United States of America (USA), continues its 'Arts & Literary Salon' series this Thursday (Feb. 12), featuring the book 'Nyam Jamaica' by Rosemary Parkinson. The event, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. will entail a book presentation and signing followed by a reception. 'Nyam Jamaica' is a 424-page tome, which takes the...

McGrath High School, Treadways, St Catherine, will hold its first agricultural fair on Thursday, February 12, under the theme 'Eat What You Grow: Grow What You Eat'. Principal, Cynthia Anderson told JIS News that, as the school is in a farming community, the fair will demonstrate to the community, successful ventures which have been undertaken in modern agriculture and food...

As Jamaica weathers the current economic challenges, key leaders must understand their role in working to overcome the difficulties that have been created, according to Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton. The minister, who was the keynote speaker at a Manchester Chamber of Commerce function at the Golf View Hotel, Mandeville, on Thursday(February 5), said that with sound policy direction...

The Ministry of Agriculture will be establishing pepper mashers, in an effort to satisfy the increasing demand for mashed hot peppers in the agro-processing trade. Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, said the Ministry, through its Agricultural Support Services Project (ASSP) unit, has written a proposal to secure funding for one such facility, which would be operated as a business....

The Coffee Industry Board (CIB), held a successful meeting with coffee farmers to address several burning issues affecting the sector, Tuesday, (Feb. 3). Chief among the issues were the pricing of coffee, production levels, pest management, fertiliser and continuous training for farmers and growers. Director General of the CIB, Christopher Gentles, told JIS News that he was pleased with the...

Several parcels of land, suitable for rice farming, have been identified across the island, with adequate water resources in place to carry out the activity. "However, there will need to be some rehabilitation of the infrastructure, because we have been out of rice farming for quite some time, so we need to rehabilitate what we had before," said Investment Officer...

Nine pepper nurseries have been established by the Ministry of Agriculture, as part of its initiative to help farmers meet the demand of the agro-processing trade, and for sale on the domestic market. The seedlings to be produced are scotch bonnet and red peppers. The project is managed by the Agricultural Support Services Project (ASSP), supported by the Inter-American Development...

The 5th Hemispheric Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture, which will address strategic issues and specific mandates related to agriculture and rural life in the Caribbean, Central and South America, will be held in Montego Bay, St. James, in October. Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), which are the lead institutions for the...