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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...

Head of the Sugar Enterprise Team, Aubyn Hill, has pointed out that a deal for privitisation of the five state-owned sugar factories was not signed with Brazilian company, Infinity Bio-Energy, as anticipated, because drastic changes in the world economy had rendered the company unable to finalise the arrangement with the Government of Jamaica. Addressing a post-Cabinet press briefing, at Jamaica...

The Government is to establish a task force, comprised of bauxite/alumina industry stakeholders and the Opposition, to monitor developments in the industry. The Office of the Prime Minister(OPM) said last night that Prime Minister Bruce Golding made the announcement at a meeting with the stakeholders at Jamaica House. OPM also stated that Mr. Golding gave "complete assurance" that the Government...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will be conducting a pre- selection exercise for the farm work component of the Overseas Employment Programme, from March 16 to 27. "This means that we will be going islandwide to pre-select persons who will be suitable to work on the farm work programme, so that when the overseas employers submit requests for...

The Jamaica Fishermen Co-op Union and Norwegian firm, Wavefield Inseis, have signed a compensation agreement, which will offer protection to fishers during the undertaking of offshore seismic operations in Jamaica's territorial waters. The agreement was signed by Chairman of the Jamaica Fishermen Co-op Union, Honeyghen Havelan, and Operations Manager of Wavefield Inseis, which will carry out the activities, Francis McLaughlin....

Issues relating to sugar, such as the need for close collaboration between the Jamaican industry and Caribbean partners, will be discussed by Directors of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean, who will deliberate at a two-day meeting at the Terra Nova Hotel, in Kingston, beginning on February 5. Executive Chairman of the Sugar Industry Authority, Ambassador Derrick Heaven, said this...

The registration of farmers in St. Thomas, under the Ministry of Agriculture's Farmer Registration Programme, is currently having a success rate of 80 per cent.. Parish Manager at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) office in St Thomas, Caswell Glover, told JIS News at a Coffee Industry Board Farmers Meeting, at Hayfield Square, that of about 8,000 targeted farmers, over...

Head of the Sugar Enterprise Team, Aubyn Hill, says that he is confident that the Government will divest its sugar assets, despite the global economic crisis."We cant stop being willing to go out there and put our assets up for sale, and negotiate in good faith," Mr. Hill responded to questions at Wednesday's(February 4) post cabinet press briefing at Jamaica...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has explained that the Sugar Enterprise Team has the flexibility and authority of Cabinet to accommodate any divestment proposal, within reason, in the interest of preserving the sugar industry, while ensuring that the take off of the current crop, is secured. Cabinet has approved a net funding of $1.4 billion to take off the...

Peace Corp volunteer, Stephanie Husfelt along with fellow volunteer Scott Trynosky, and Jamaica 4-H Clubs representatives will be working on a proposal to establish a technology park at the Jamaica 4-H Clubs Denbigh Training Centre in Denbigh, Clarendon. "We are going to be working together to formulate a proposal for a technology park that will encompass a biodiesel project and...

The Coconut Industry Board (CIB), is encouraging farmers to invest in coconut production as they stand to benefit from grants and technical assistance to undertake projects. Field Officer from the CIB, Easton Fraser, addressing a meeting of the St. Elizabeth Branch Societies of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), held recently at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority's (RADA) office in the...

Farmers in St. Elizabeth, who are members of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), have called on the organisation to provide them with greater assistance in accessing loans and acquiring large machinery such as tractors, as part of the process to increase agricultural production. At a meeting of the St. Elizabeth JAS held recently at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority's (RADA)...