Agriculture and community tourism enterprises are to benefit from the provision of seedling and chemicals, as well as capacity building, under the Government’s Rural Economic Development Initiative II. An allotment of $414.5 million has been made in the 2021/22 Estimates of Expenditure for these and other exigencies under the project, which seeks to enhance access to markets and strengthen climate-resilient...

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...

As the country sees a glut in the market for tomatoes, the Scientific Research Council (SRC) says there is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to utilise its pilot processing plant to create tomato-based products such as sauces, pastes, or juices. Speaking with JIS News, Acting Managing Director of the SRC, Dr. Charah Watson, said that the plant can formulate a range...

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, says that further growth is projected for the agriculture sector, following a 1.8 per cent growth in the second quarter of last year. He said that the expansion in activity was achieved despite the challenges facing the sector, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the changing rainfall and drought patterns due...

Chief Technical Director for Special Projects in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Courtney Cole, says the Government’s Buy-Back Programme continues to safeguard the well-being of local farmers affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On Thursday (February 11), the Ministry, through the St. Elizabeth office of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), sought to purchase 10,000 pounds of tomatoes from...

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...