The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be strengthening the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) in 2023, says Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. “Praedial larceny has been the scourge which hinders imminent growth for our sector, and it is the reason we are going to be very serious and bullish in advancing our efforts...

Board Chairpersons of entities under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have been encouraged to share their knowledge and skills to achieve greater efficiency in the different sectors. The call came from Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., during a recent meeting with the Board Chairpersons. “If you are in talks with an entity and you see...

Initiatives have been put in place to grow the coffee industry, says Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. Speaking at the press launch of the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival on Monday, January 9, at Devon House, in Kingston, the Minister said the coffee industry remains a priority on the Ministry’s agenda. “The Ministry, through agencies like...

Local farmers are being encouraged to cultivate ample quantities of crops that are used to produce essential oils, to enable them and, by extension, Jamaica to tap into the multibillion-dollar global market for these nutraceuticals. This urging comes from State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, who cites ginger, tumeric, lemongrass, pimento,...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is assuring that the manufacturing of animal feed continues in sufficient quantities, utilising available inventories of raw material. This assurance comes against the background of recent reports of a shortage of the product. “We reassure all stakeholders that we will continue to closely monitor the situation, and will provide timely updates as the need...

Jamaica is looking to forge closer ties with Cuba for the further development of the local agriculture sector. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr, said there is potential for the countries to join efforts in research and development for pest and weed management and alternatives for animal feed and fertilisers. “These are areas of focus because they...

Approximately 30 farmers in St. Catherine West Central have received knapsack sprayers from the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton. The presentation of the equipment was made at a farmers’ market held on Wednesday (December 21) at the Green Acres Commercial Complex in the parish. The knapsack sprayers are used by farmers for spraying different...

Local farmers are being invited to join the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ ‘Global Soil Doctors Programme’ to increase agricultural output. Soil Doctors are farmers who are provided with technical knowledge and resources to train others in their community. The programme, which was launched at a World Soil Day Technical Forum at the HEART/NSTA’s Ebony Park Academy in Clarendon earlier...

Creative meals from locally grown ground provisions, vegetables and fruit are sure to be served at the Maxfield Park Children’s Home in Kingston this Christmas for its approximately 80 residents. On Tuesday (December 20), farmers’ groups within the Kingston and St. Andrew branch of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) presented the facility with an abundance of produce, fresh from...