The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) has met with the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association to address storage issues being faced by local pig farmers due to the disruption in the market amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The team from the Ministry, led by State Minister Floyd Green, sat down with President of the Association Annabel Williams and Secretary,...

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says an additional $1billion has been allocated to the Ministry’s Productivity Incentive Programme (PIP) to assist small farmers in light of challenges being experienced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Shaw said the sum is contained in the early supplementary budget recently tabled in Parliament by Finance and the Public Service...

Registered farmers and fisherfolk have been included in the relevant exemption schedules under the Disaster Risk Management Act. Speaking in the House of Representatives on April 28, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said it was never the intention of the Order to impede agriculture. “In fact, the Order made special provisions for transporting agricultural products, for allowing persons...

Over the past three weeks some $50 million has been allocated to redistributing excess crops and fresh produce held by farmers in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Jamaica and the consequent fall out of demand from the tourism and other markets. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture Fisheries through its agency, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority working with...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Honourable Audley Shaw, is assuring residents of Portmore, St.Catherine that there will be more than enough farm fresh fruits and vegetables on offer at affordable prices come this Saturday, April 25, when the community will again have a shopping day under COVID-19 restrictions. The Minister made the declaration on Tuesday (April 21)...

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) has secured some $24.6 million in refunds for customers for the 2019/20 financial year. In an interview with JIS News, Communications Specialist at the CAC, Dorothy Campbell, said the agency does not retain any of the funds. “We keep getting requests for advice [and] we have had 654 requests. Persons making a purchase or signing...

Jamaica is “still open for business”, even as the Government continues to prioritise the health and safety of its citizens. This is the message from State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green. “Even with our emphasis and priority on keeping our citizens safe, ensuring that we take the decisions that are in the...