With the title of National Farm Queen comes more than a crown and sash – it offers a powerful platform for the incumbent to inspire and motivate. For 18-year-old Menen Ross, Jamaica’s newest ambassador for young women in agriculture, her year-long reign – which began on August 2 with her victory in the annual competition – offers a chance to...

While they make up at least one third of Jamaica’s farmers and contribute significantly to the nation’s food security, rural women in agriculture are facing a unique set of challenges that limit their productivity and impact their potential within the sector. “The mere fact that we are women, that in itself is a challenge. Usually, agriculture is perceived as a...

Frosty Pod disease, caused by the fungus, ‘Moniliophthora roreri’, has been a significant threat to cocoa production in Jamaica. First discovered in Jamaica in August 2016 on a Clarendon farm, frosty pod disease became a major challenge in 2018, severely affecting local cocoa production. The disease threatened farmers' livelihoods and jeopardised Jamaica's position as one of the eight producers of...

The Veterinary Services Division (VSD), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, has emphasised its commitment to maintaining regulations and guidelines for the importation of live animals. With the reality of diseases that affect animals also affecting humans – known as zoonotic diseases – this function is critical for the public health and the safety of both animal and human populations....

The multibillion-US-dollar global coconut industry is bustling with new products, which have emerged from technologies and innovations in the creation of climate and disease-resistant hybrids and machines used in reaping ready nuts. However, despite the many advances, success with coconuts begins at the ground level with the quality and elemental composition of the soil. This is why the Coconut Industry...

More than 2,000 local fishers and fish farmers across 15 fishing communities islandwide have benefited from the Promoting Community-Based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector Project. Funded through a US$4.85-million grant provided by Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and administered by the World Bank, the project aimed to increase the adoption of climate-resilient practices among targeted fishing and fish-farming communities in...

Jamaica’s coconut industry continues to benefit from decades of scientific research and experimental breeding thanks to the work of the Coconut Industry Board (CIB) and its field gene banks. Botanist and Plant Breeder at the Board, Chantelle Campbell-McTaggart, says the ongoing development of resilient hybrids, such as the Maypan and Braypan, has helped the industry to survive major threats, particularly...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is urging livestock farmers to implement protective measures to safeguard their livelihoods during the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which started on June 1. Senior RADA Livestock Specialist, Maxine Brown, tells JIS News that the first priority for farmers at the onset of a storm or hurricane should be to check on their animals. “You...