When the Rural Agricultural Development Authority’s (RADA) Principal Director of Technical Services, Marina Young, commenced her tertiary education at Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (now Russian State Agrarian University), little did she know she was destined to spend nearly all of her professional career on a small island, thousands of miles away, named Jamaica. However, after meeting her Jamaican husband while...

In 1965, then 18-year old St. Thomas native, Augustus Morgan, left Jamaica for the United States to participate in the overseas agricultural (farm work) programme. Fifty-five years later, not only is Mr. Morgan still with the programme, but at 73 years-old, he is one of the oldest members, and tells JIS News that he is “fit and ready to go...

The St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation has honoured fruit and vegetable farmer Desmond Whitely, for 42 continuous years in the industry. The 54-year-old son of the parish was presented with the ‘Best of St. Bess Golden Award’ at the Foundation’s Homecoming Week 2019 Awards Brunch held recently at Lover’s Leap, where he was showered with accolades for his contribution to the...

Students and teachers are hailing the staging of the annual Minard Livestock Show and Beef Festival in educating the public about the importance of agriculture to national development in a fun and exciting way. Approximately 5,000 students from institutions islandwide attended the 20th staging of the event held earlier this month in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, under the theme ‘Empowering...

The Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre for boys, in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, has received a boost in its quest to provide the wards with modern agricultural training, as part of the rehabilitation process. Under a partnership involving Hi-Pro Farm Supplies, the We Transform Initiative, and students and Faculty from the Humber College, in Canada, the programme was recently expanded...

Agriculture remains one of the most significant economic mainstay within the Parish of St. Elizabeth. The over 30,000 registered farmers in the Parish have been ably guided in best practices by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Industry Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. RADA’s St. Elizabeth Parish Agricultural Manager, Nathan Samuels tells JIS News...

Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Regional Officer, Clayton Hall, is on a mission to help the country achieve its goals under the long-term National Development Plan – Vision 2030 Jamaica. He is endeavouring to ensure that, through education and agriculture, Jamaica will be able to achieve developed country status within 11 years and, in the process become the place of choice...

St. Ann farmer Valerie Lewis says that agriculture has been a lifelong passion. “Actually, it’s the only thing that I know and I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” she tells JIS News. “There is hardly anything the male farmers can do that I have not been doing and I see a lot of my other female friends getting...

Trees are pivotal to sustaining life. They provide a home for many animals, stabilise the soil, store carbon dioxide and provide oxygen, which is vital for all life forms. It is against this background that the Forestry Department remains focused on maintaining trees in Jamaica’s forest reserves through, among other things, its ‘Adopt-a-Hillside’ Programme. The agency’s Manager for Strategic Corporate...