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)....

Preliminary estimates for the second quarter of 2022 (April-June), show domestic crop production growing to 219,667 tonnes, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the corresponding quarter of 2021. This is also an increase over the January to March quarter of 2022, by 3.6 per cent. Domestic crop production grew by 10.4 per cent to 212,134 tonnes in the first...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is aiming to expand the implementation of agricultural practices in urban areas, which will include backyard gardening and vertical farming. Critical to the ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ campaign is the involvement of Jamaicans in the process of becoming food secure through creating opportunities for self- sufficiency. Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.,...

Sugar-cane farmers in Trelawny are being assisted by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in transitioning to other crops, given the decline of the sugar industry.  Parish Agricultural Manager, Courtney Taylor, said that the aim is to diversify the crops being produced in the parish and ease its heavy dependence on others, such as yam.  “Trelawny is one of the...