Four hundred vegetable farmers in the Duff House/New Forest area of Manchester are benefiting from improved access to irrigation for their farms. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, officially commissioned the irrigation system into service during a visit to the area last Thursday (May 11). He said the farmers, who...

The beet army worm outbreak in South Manchester and surrounding communities is expected to significantly impact the availability of some produce, particularly scallion, in the local market. Principal Director, Training, Technology and Technical Information Division of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Marina Young, at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ on May 12, described the impact as severe....

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says the Government will be spending significant sums to improve the condition of fire stations across the island. He noted that repair work is already underway at the Buff Bay and Port Antonio stations in Portland, and more than $6 million will be spent to construct a perimeter fence at...

Film-makers from 28 countries will join local talent in showcasing their work in various genres at the 2017 staging of the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) GATFFEST film festival. To be held from June 15 to 24 under the theme: ‘From the Streets to the Screen', the event will feature workshops and screenings of films in the areas of...

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the  Government will continue to explore additional measures to alert members of the public when a child goes missing in order to aid in their safe recovery. “In 2015, we had 1, 900 children going missing. We saw a reduction last year where we had 1, 700 children going...

National Security Minister, Hon. Robert Montaguen is calling for a strengthening of community policing activities by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). He said that too many police officers are “locking themselves away in the stations,” and they need to go out into the communities to build relations with citizens. Such efforts, he said, will encourage a certain level of trust,...

Parliament’s Joint Select Committee reviewing the Child Care and Protection, Sexual Offences, and Offences against the Person Acts is eager to wrap up its deliberations on the revision of penalties. State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says while no timeline has been set for the conclusion of the Committee’s work, which started in 2014, the members...