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The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is assisting farmers to better market their crops by strengthening its information gathering system. This is according portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, who lamented that lack of proper marketing techniques have often hampered the productivity of the nation’s farmers. “To tackle the problems with production, marketing has always been a serious problem. If the...

Ronald Jackson Heads to CDEMA An intellectual, hard worker and visionary were some of the accolades echoed by staff and colleagues who bade farewell to outgoing Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Hugh Jackson, at a reception held at the agency’s offices in Kingston. The mood at Thursday’s (March 28) ceremony was reflective...

More than 20 young people from the communities of Orange Park and Charlemont in St. Catherine were inducted into the National Housing Trust’s (NHT) Environmental Club, during a ceremony at the Charlemont High School on Thursday (March 28). The students join a growing number of young people, in more than 130 communities islandwide, who are being empowered by the NHT’s...

Some 2,000 residents in the New Roads community of Westmoreland have welcomed the rehabilitation of a catchment tank that will ease the daily challenge they have faced over the years in securing potable water. The tank, which is located in the deep rural section of the parish where there is a heavy dependence on rain water, was rehabilitated at a...

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Jamaica, Dr. Arun Kashyap, is suggesting an analysis of the potential ecomonic benfits to be derived from the country’s forests. Dr. Kashyap, who is also the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to Jamaica, notes that the economic potential of forests are often not recognized by countries blessed with these resources. In noting...

Jamaicans have been urged to conserve water, in light of the drought conditions currently being experienced throughout the island. This call came from Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, as he addressed the opening of the Ministry’s two-day exposition, held on the lawns of Devon House, St. Andrew, on March 22. “It is incumbent on...

he St. Elizabeth Parish Council is to receive an additional $3 million to assist in the distribution of water to drought stricken areas in the parish. This was announced by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, at a meeting of the Council on March 21. With sections of the island suffering from drought conditions, concern was...

Cabinet has approved a contract for $41.328 million for water system improvement works in Westmoreland. Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, who provided details at the Jamaica House press briefing on Wednesday, March 20, said the project includes the replacement of the Mount Airy reservoir and the construction of a new storage reservoir at Revival, to...

A two-day exposition will highlight activities marking World Water Day and World Meteorological Day in Jamaica, on March 22 and 23 respectively. Organised by the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, the exposition will be staged on the south lawns of Devon House, St. Andrew, under the theme: “Partnering for Sustainable Development”. The work of the Ministry and...

The Government is moving to expand the National School Garden Programme, with plans to establish a garden in every public school over the next five years. Currently, 352 schools in Jamaica have gardens under the programme. The announcement was made by Director of Field Services and Economic Development of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Ron Blake, as he addressed the St....

The National Water Commission (NWC) is moving aggressively to implement measures to alleviate drought conditions, which are expected to continue to affect the island over the next two months. President of the NWC, Albert Gordon, said the company has been working to implement a number of long and short-term measures in an effort to minimise the impact of drought conditions...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will be doing further tests to determine the source of the chemical pollutant, which affected scores of persons near the vicinity of the Central Sorting Office on February 28. The agency, after rigorous analysis, has identified the chemical as methylene chloride. Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, told...