The burgeoning local bamboo and castor oil industries are to be included in the Agriculture Push-Start (APS) programme, as part of plans to capitalise on the value chain of these crops. Castor oil is to be added to the programme by the end of the year and bamboo is to be included at a later date. This was announced by...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says development of the Essex Valley irrigation project in St. Elizabeth is expected to start within the next three months. “This project will positively impact the livelihoods of over 700 farmers on 1,700 acres of land through the provision of irrigation water and increased access of our agricultural produce to...

As the nation gears up to celebrate 56 years of Independence next Monday (August 6), Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has called on Jamaicans to focus more on the sciences, commerce, industry and trade for the development of the economy and to make their mark in those areas across the world. Speaking at the Governor-General, His Excellency the...

More than 20 agricultural stakeholders from the region are benefiting from a five-day training worship in Climate Resilience Advanced Crop Modelling. The participants are from Jamaica, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, and include agronomists, agricultural extension officers and agrometeorologists, farmers, and researchers. Crop and livestock impact modelling — which is relatively...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says that plant health is a fundamental pillar to achieving the region’s food security and economic growth. In this regard, he has called on regional Plant Health Directors to identify new strategies aimed at safeguarding the region’s agriculture and plant health. The Minister was speaking at the opening of the...

The Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) is forecasting expansion in business and investment opportunities for the country as a result of increased interest and scouting of key sectors by potential investors. These include agri-business, business process outsourcing (BPO), energy, logistics, manufacturing and tourism, which were the focus areas at the recently held Jamaica Investment Forum (JIF). President of the agency, Diane...

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says he will be engaging with large hotel chains in order to increase the supply of local farm produce to the tourism sector and cut down on food imports. He said he will be working with Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, in achieving this objective. “We have to sit down with...

British High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Asif Ahmad, says Jamaica can generate significantly high levels of economic growth from the Government’s implementation of the Global Logistics Hub Initiative (GLHI), which incorporates Special Economic Zones (SEZ). Speaking at Wednesday’s (July 11) official opening of the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA) in Kingston, Mr. Ahmad noted that cities and countries...

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says he is committed to providing the leadership to mobilise the requisite resources and personnel for the development and success of the medical cannabis industry. Addressing the opening ceremony for the University of Technology’s (UTech) third annual Jamaican Medical Cannabis Integration Symposium (JAMECANN) on Thursday (July 5) at the institution, the...