Farmers in the constituency of St. Elizabeth North West are preparing to embark on a major castor bean project. Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, informed that the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) is in the process of establishing a project, aimed at using mined out bauxite lands to plant castor beans and intercrop these with cash...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., is highlighting the value of partnerships to the effective implementation of the ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ national campaign. The initiative, which aims to strengthen Jamaica’s food security, focuses on building a resilient and sustainable agriculture sector. Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, Minister Charles said the campaign’s key areas include crop...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) will be improving its extension services to farmers, as part of efforts to supply them with the critical support they need to thrive. “We are committed to providing this high level of extension service and to ensure that we bolster and improve our communication [with] the farmers,” said the agency’s Acting Chief Executive Officer,...

The agricultural sector has met 40 per cent of the national demand for onions, surpassing the original target of 20 per cent. This means the production efforts resulted in farmers and suppliers producing roughly 4,000 tonnes of the demand of 10,000 tonnes last year. The sector was also able to meet 70 per cent of the national demand for potatoes,...

Communities are being reminded of the important role they play in protecting Jamaica’s ecosystems and supporting the efforts of environmentalists in this regard. Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the point on Friday (September 9) during a visit and tour of the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA) in Clarendon, where the ‘Enhancing the Capacity for Management of...

The Agro-Invest Corporation (AIC) and Jamaica 4-H Clubs have partnered to formulate and execute the Youth in Agriculture land lease programme. Under this initiative, eligible youth farmers were selected to access lands provided by the AIC. Speaking in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (September 7), Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr, said through collaboration with other...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be conducting a crop-spraying trials pilot in the New Pen and Yallahs extension areas using drones this season. “Through this we expect to use less and get more through greater efficiency in crop spraying,” Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., said during a statement to the House of Representatives on Wednesday (September 7)....