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Director General of the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), Christopher Gentles, says that, despite the industry sustaining estimated losses of $108 million during the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav, the greatest setback suffered by stakeholders, has been the damage to the road and drainage networks serving the sector. He notes that the $108 million in losses represents about six percent of...

Education Minister, Andrew Holness has re-emphasised that the Government is determined that no child should leave the primary school system illiterate and is continuously putting measures in place to ensure this. "When we started in the year 1999 to measure literacy at the primary level, using the Grade Four Literacy Test, only 42 per cent of students managed to achieve...

The Science Department, at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), in Manchester, received a major boost recently with a donation of US$40,000 from Versacare Incorporated, which was used to purchase equipment. Associate Professor at the NCU's College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Dr. Samson Omoregie, told JIS News, that the equipment bought by the Department, would help in fighting many medical...

Education Minister, Andrew Holness, wasted no time in fulfilling his promise to abolish tuition fees for high school students, when he assumed office in September last year. Based on school reports, this measure has increased the level of attendance at schools. Stressing that at no time should a child be turned away from school, because of an inability to pay...

Several products made in the United States, Costa Rica and Guatemala, are turning up on supermarket shelves here, with brand Jamaica prominently displayed on their labels. The discovery was made even as the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), seeks certification and registration for three of the country's most authentic products - Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaican Rum, and Jerk Seasoning. The...

Government has given instructions for repair works to begin on roads in the Buff Bay Valley area of Portland, which have been extensively damaged by recent flooding. Minister of State for Project Implementation and Service Delivery, in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Vaz, says instructions have been given to the National Works Agency (NWA), through the Ministry of...

The Government of Jamaica through the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) will be providing emergency relief supplies and food items to the people of Cuba, following the recent onslaught of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Four people were reported to have died and over 1.2-million Cubans were forced to evacuate as a result of Hurricane Ike while over...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding will leave the island on Sunday, September 21, for engagements in New York and Washington, including an address to the General Debate of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26. Mr. Golding will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr Ken Baugh and...

I am happy to be associated with the observation of Pesticide Awareness Week 2008. Pesticide Awareness Week provides an unrivalled opportunity to inform Jamaicans about the benefits and risks associated with pesticide use, as well as their role in ensuring safe and effective use of these chemicals. "Food Security in a Healthy Environment" the focus of this year's celebration is...

Jamaica Women of Washington (JWOW), will stage its fourth annual golf tournament at the Hampshire Greens Golf Course, at Silver Springs, Maryland, USA, on Wednesday, September 24. The event, which is being staged as part of the Health of It and Investment Seminar, will see some of Washington, D.C.'s top golfers participating and vying for various prizes. Proceeds from the...

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has stressed the important role information technology plays in the total enhancement of the tourist industry. This, he says, as the country seeks to make the product more attractive and competitive in the global economy. Addressing the monthly meeting of the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) at the Ritz Carlton Resort and Spa in...

This year, the Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID), of the Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To commemorate its golden anniversary, the Division has been staging a series of activities since March, which will run until December. These activities include an islandwide food safety poster and essay competition for secondary schools, and...