A new piggery will be built at the Bodles Research Station in St. Catherine to improve the delivery of support services to pig farmers. Construction of the piggery is part of a rehabilitation project being undertaken at Bodles, for which the Government has budgeted $150 million in the 2021/22 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. During the...

The Government has allocated $128.7 million to the Agricultural Competitiveness Programme Bridging Project. This programme aims to place Jamaica in a competitive position that will provide solutions to the structural challenges that are confronted by the local agricultural sector. It also seeks to provide opportunities and lay a solid foundation to fully exploit the market potential that exists for Jamaican...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has responded to the glut in tomatoes in St. Elizabeth by purchasing 10,000 pounds from farmers, under the Government’s buy-back programme. More than $30 million has been allocated to purchase the excess produce that is being sold anywhere from $35 to $40 per pound. The St. Elizabeth Parish Office of the Rural Agricultural Development...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government will continue supporting farmers by purchasing excess agricultural produce, through the Buy-Back Programme. Addressing the virtual launch of the Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE) partnership, on February 11, Mr. Green said $60 million has been earmarked for the programme as well as initiatives targeting women and youth...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, has lauded local egg farmers for their resilience in navigating the challenges to their enterprises posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Mr. Green, who was speaking during the Jamaica Egg Farmers Association’s annual general meeting at the Hibiscus Lodge in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, on February 3, said despite market fluctuations that...

Jamaicans are reminded that it is illegal to buy, sell or slaughter cattle that are not affixed with the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) ear tags. The system aims to strengthen food safety by enhancing animal disease surveillance and supports the development of a modern livestock sector aligned with international standards. Stakeholders involved in cattle rearing, including butchers,...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says agriculture and manufacturing will be critical to the recovery of the tourism industry in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, from the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He said the impact of COVID-19 has been “huge”, noting that Jamaica lost approximately US$2.5 billion in earnings and just over 100,000 jobs since the...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, is inviting private-sector stakeholders to partner with the Government to supply farmers with access to essential machinery and equipment. He noted that while the Ministry has purchased backhoes and will add six tractors to its fleet, “the pace at which we want to move agriculture will require more equipment and machinery. I...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has commenced preparations for the upcoming dry season. In an interview with JIS News, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, said that following a recent meeting of the Ministry’s newly formed Drought Mitigation Committee, several measures are being implemented “to manage, in a proactive way, the execution of the drought management plan for the sector”....