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The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr (right), presents special appreciation award to Farmer, Maple Gladstone Lawrence, for over 50 years of dedicated service to the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Branch in St Ann during the eighth staging of the St. Ann Agricultural Industrial and Food Show at Port Rhoades Sport Club in Discovery Bay, St. Ann, on Thursday (May 26).
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr (right), presents special appreciation award to Farmer, Maple Gladstone Lawrence, for over 50 years of dedicated service to the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Branch in St Ann during the eighth staging of the St. Ann Agricultural Industrial and Food Show at Port Rhoades Sport Club in Discovery Bay, St. Ann, on Thursday (May 26).

$670M Allocated for farm roads repair

The government has earmarked several agricultural initiatives in the 2022/2023 fiscal year to further develop the sector as a productive and sustainable industry.  Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the disclosure while addressing Thursday’s (May 26) eighth staging...
Executive Chairman, Institute of Vocational and Professional Training (IVPT), Randy Finnikin (third left), shows a section of the Institute’s greenhouse to (from left), Jamaica Agricultural Society Vice President, Denton Alvaranga and General Operations Manager, Best Dressed Chicken Processing Plant, Steve Palmer. Looking on (at right, foreground) is Chairman of the Spring Village Development Foundation, Wayne Saunderson.
Executive Chairman, Institute of Vocational and Professional Training (IVPT), Randy Finnikin (third left), shows a section of the Institute’s greenhouse to (from left), Jamaica Agricultural Society Vice President, Denton Alvaranga and General Operations Manager, Best Dressed Chicken Processing Plant, Steve Palmer. Looking on (at right, foreground) is Chairman of the Spring Village Development Foundation, Wayne Saunderson.

IVPT Now Has a School of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr,. and State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter, look at the interior of the new refrigerated truck acquired for the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) St. Elizabeth parish office. Five new vehicles, acquired for the office, were handed over at the Ministry in Kingston, recently.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr,. and State Minister, Hon. Franklin Witter, look at the interior of the new refrigerated truck acquired for the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) St. Elizabeth parish office. Five new vehicles, acquired for the office, were handed over at the Ministry in Kingston, recently.

RADA St. Elizabeth Gets Five New Vehicles
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., addresses a recent post-Sectoral Debate press briefing at the Ministry’s Old Hope Road offices in Kingston.
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., addresses a recent post-Sectoral Debate press briefing at the Ministry’s Old Hope Road offices in Kingston.

$1.07 Billion Reserved For Production Incentive Programme
State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Franklin Witter (right), and Co-Executive Director, Food For the Poor, Kivette Silvera, visit a booth during World Bee Day 2022 activities at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Kingston office on Friday (May 20).
State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Franklin Witter (right), and Co-Executive Director, Food For the Poor, Kivette Silvera, visit a booth during World Bee Day 2022 activities at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Kingston office on Friday (May 20).

Agriculture Ministry Provides $10-Million Feed Subsidy for Bee Farmers

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AgricultureFisheries

Agriculture Ministry Calls on Jamaicans to Protect Bees

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is calling on Jamaicans to safeguard the island’s food security by protecting honeybees. On May 20, the world will recognise World Bee Day under the theme ‘Bee Engaged: Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems’. Chief Plant Protection Officer in the Apiculture Unit of the Ministry, Hugh Smith, said “the more pollinators we...
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Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., addresses the Ministry’s post Sectoral Debate media briefing, on May 18 at its Old Hope Road offices in Kingston and online.
Agriculture

Major Irrigation Scheme For Pedro Plains, St. Elizabeth

The sum of $304 million has been budgeted for the 2022/23 financial year to conduct activities for a major irrigation scheme, which will see water lifted from the Black River to the Pedro Plains of southern St. Elizabeth. Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., said the sum will also cover the cost for conducting surveys and cadastral mapping...
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Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., makes his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 17.
AgricultureParliamentSectoral Debate 2022/23

Increase In Production Of Selected Crops And Livestock

Production of selected crops and livestock has increased as part of a wider import-substitution strategy. Making his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 17, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., said the move will increase Jamaica’s food security in case of any fallout or disruption in the sector. He added that the Ministry...
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Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., making his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 17.
AgricultureParliamentSectoral Debate 2022/23

Research For New Blends To Reduce Cost Of Fertiliser

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is collaborating with Jamaica’s main fertiliser manufacturer to guide research for the development of new blends that will maximise efficiency and reduce the cost for farmers. “Right now, our farmers, sadly, are utilising sometimes the wrong fertiliser and too much fertiliser. It is causing burning of our soil and it is constricting our productivity,”...
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Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., makes his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 17.
AgricultureParliamentSectoral Debate 2022/23

Domestic Food Production Increased In 2021

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is reporting that despite the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the production of chicken meat, eggs, and domestic food crops increased in 2021 when compared to the corresponding period in 2020. Portfolio Minister, Pearnel Charles Jr., provided an update while making his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives...
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Jamaica’s agriculture sector is slated to benefit from millions of dollars in support to bolster food security by strengthening the country’s agricultural output and improving sustainability and resilience within the sector. The initiatives, to be implemented through partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), include a $38-million Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Reduction programme that will focus on strengthening food value chain operations. It is part of strategic food security actions for the new fiscal year. “That will speak to a strategy for reducing food losses along value chains, supporting our farmers to reduce post-harvest losses, and extending produce shelf-life to ensure enhanced farm and household cash inflows,” said Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. He was making his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 17). The Ministry will also be collaborating with the FAO to undertake projects to improve phytosanitary, food safety and market access opportunities along the hot pepper value chain, with funding of $152 million, and improve rural livelihoods through resilient agri-food systems, at a cost of $152 million. The partnership will also include the $45-million Rocky Point Fishing Beach Improvement Project to include provision of landing equipment, fish cleaning and storage facilities, mangrove protection, as well as training for users, and the identification of two technical projects valued at $37 million for implementation across the sector. (more) Jamaica Gets…2 In the meantime, Minister Charles Jr. informed that under the South-South Cooperation Programme, which is a partnership with FAO, China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Jamaica will benefit from a project valued at approximately US$2 million. It is aimed at strengthening post coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery policies and programmes that facilitate better decision-making; promoting digitalisation and ecommerce strategies among farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and providing inputs for digitalisation of rural areas and for participation in the United Nations’ 1,000 Digital Village Initiative as a post COVID-19 measure. The Minister noted that the FAO has greatly assisted the sector with technical training, funding of programmes and initiatives, and its continued support in the upcoming year in key focus areas is in line with the organisation’s thrust to support food security in the region.
AgricultureParliamentSectoral Debate 2022/23

Jamaicans Get Funding To Strengthen Food Security, Agriculture Resilience

Jamaica’s agriculture sector is slated to benefit from millions of dollars in support to bolster food security by strengthening the country’s agricultural output and improving sustainability and resilience within the sector. The initiatives, to be implemented through partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), include a $38-million Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Reduction programme that will focus on strengthening...
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Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., making his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 17.
AgricultureParliamentSectoral Debate 2022/23

Agriculture Minister Announces New ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ Campaign

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is introducing a new campaign dubbed ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’ as part of the national food security thrust. The initiative will target several priority areas, among them crop production, climate-smart practices and technologies, access to finance, and advancing and expanding insurance for farmers, with a focus on praedial larceny. It will also facilitate development...
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