As Jamaica’s agricultural sector recovers from Hurricane Melissa, the Agricultural Marketing Information and Incentives Branch (AMIIB) within the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is using data to guide decisions, stabilise markets and strengthen food security. Principal Director for AMIIB, Kevin Condappa, explains that timely and accurate agricultural data has been essential in assessing the damage caused by the hurricane...

While the Corporate Area pulses with the rhythms of commerce and traffic, a quiet revolution in urban farming is unfolding in the backyard of a Havendale home. Managing Partner and Operations Director of Jamaica Tower Farms, Kerrie-Anne Gray, together with her partner, John Mark Clayton, are demonstrating through aeroponic towers that feeding a nation does not require vast rural acreage...

Students of José Martí Technical High School in St. Catherine are no longer just learning how to plant and reap crops; they are mastering the science and technology that will define the future of agriculture. At the heart of this transformation is a state-of-the-art smart greenhouse, a pilot initiative that is reshaping how agriculture is taught and experienced in Jamaican...

Clarendon native, Amoy Crawford, envisioned a career in agriculture while a student at Claude McKay High School in the parish. Attending the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland became part of her plan, but financial challenges made the journey uncertain. Added to that, she wrestled with the thought of leaving home. “I wanted to get a feel...

Farmers across Jamaica are being encouraged to test soil pH as a critical step in improving crop productivity and getting better value from fertiliser use. Testing determines if soil is too acidic or alkaline, which directly impacts nutrient availability and prevents over fertilisation. Soil Fertility Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Dennis Joosse, tells JIS News that understanding soil...

When 42-year-old Kayanne Cole decided to go into farming, she did not know how to properly use a machete. She had never cleared land, never planted a crop and never imagined herself operating a farm. “I knew absolutely nothing about farming,” Miss Cole tells JIS News. Just over two years later, the financial advisor and mother of two is cultivating...

The National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) will be expanded in the new financial year to include the tagging of goats. The system administered through the Veterinary Services Division (VSD) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, is currently focused on cattle. “We're moving certainly, in the next financial year, to start tagging goats,” Acting Chief Veterinary Officer...

The amended Agricultural Produce Act (APA) now requires all individuals involved in the production, trade, and distribution of agricultural goods to register with the Agricultural Business Information System (ABIS). This expanded registration requirement forms a core part of the Government’s strategy to combat praedial larceny and enhance the overall management of Jamaica’s agricultural sector. ABIS, developed in 2005 by the...