The Government has embarked on a programme to expand irrigation on a number of farmlands located at the southern part of the country. “The efforts of this Government to expand irrigation is not only admirable, but critical. We are starting with Essex Valley, and there are also initiatives afoot to significantly improve irrigation in Southern St. Catherine and Clarendon, which...

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries is to provide $100 million in support to farmers affected by the recent heavy rains in Portland, St. Mary and Trelawny. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, has explained that these three parishes experienced extreme flooding, not only causing agricultural damage of over $343 million but also significant infrastructure damage, such as farm...

The Government’s pre-shipment inspection regime for imported used motor vehicles, which will provide greater protection for consumers, comes into effect on February 1. Under the regime, the Government has employed the services of a company out of Japan, which will examine all used vehicles before they are shipped to Jamaica. Making the announcement today (January 23), at the Ministry in...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says the pilot of the Agriculture Push-Start (APS) programme, launched in Guys Hill, St. Mary in October, is progressing well. Under the initiative, being undertaken in collaboration with the Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages (PROPEL) project, among other partners, approximately...

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries will commence sensitising and training farmers to manage the Frosty Pod Rot (FPR) cocoa disease, beginning tomorrow (January 10). Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ today (January 9), Chief Plant Quarantine and Produce Inspector, Sanniel Wilson, said the first session will be held in St. Mary. “We are starting with that parish...

A shipment of 36,000 pounds of internationally certified bananas, destined for Trinidad and Tobago, is to depart the island on Monday (December 25). The green bananas, which have been packed into 900 boxes, will be the first of weekly shipments to that country over the next six months. In preparation for next week’s shipment, the packages were placed in the...

The Government intends to put the necessary systems in place to facilitate the online registration of businesses by March next year. This is to be undertaken through the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), which is responsible for the registration of local and overseas companies, individuals and firms carrying on business in Jamaica. Making the announcement, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture...