The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point for many people and Cleo Jones is no different. The 23-year-old poultry and livestock farmer lost his party rental business due to lockdowns during the pandemic. But, instead of falling into a state of despair, Mr. Jones decided to venture into what he terms as an “essential business”— poultry farming. After considering businesses...

Lamar Douglas made history last year as one of four Jamaican farmers with disabilities selected for the Canadian Farm Work Programme. She spent six months in Ontario, from June 12 to December 9, before returning home. Ms. Douglas is a former student of the Abilities Foundation where she spent two years studying housekeeping and horticulture, while working as a full-time...

Plans of becoming a pilot were quickly replaced when Shane Lyn-Cook tried his hand at farming and planted his first crop of carrots in 2022. He was so taken with the whole experience – from planting to reaping – that he has since committed to a career in the farming industry. His 1.5-acre farm in Aboukir, St. Ann, is now...

The Coconut Industry Board (CIB) is working with farmers to safeguard the coconut sector, which is facing challenges such as praedial larceny, climate change and access to affordable lands. These issues have caused a drop in production, affecting the availability of byproducts such as coconut oil, which can cause price increases. Speaking in a recent JIS Get the Facts interview,...

About 200 farmers gathered at the Kendal Camp and Conference Centre in Shooters Hill, Manchester, on March 11, for the 2025 Yam Symposium, held under the theme ‘Empowering Farmers, Connecting Stakeholders’. With yam being Jamaica’s primary agricultural export, the country is recognised internationally as one of the largest exporters of yam. As such, efforts are made to safeguard and advance...

It was only after seeing her husband turn a profit from a harvest of Scotch bonnet peppers that St. Ann native, Tricia Smith, decided to take farming seriously. Growing up, she had witnessed her father toiling away on the four-acre property in Claremont, where she now resides with her husband, with very little reward for his efforts, and was discouraged...

The Jamaica Bauxite Mining (JBM) Limited is celebrating 50 years of existence by bringing into sharp focus the contributions of an entity that has transcended its mineral-rich mining history. In 1869, J.G. Sawkins, a British geologist, made the earliest report of alumina-bearing soils in Jamaica. But it was not until almost 80 years after, that bauxite’s potential was realised. Managing...

The newly opened tissue culture laboratory at the Portland-based College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) is deemed by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, to be a significant step towards ensuring Jamaica’s food security. Speaking during the facility’s official opening on January 24, Mr. Green said the lab “is a significant leap in our relation to...

More Jamaicans are now getting involved in backyard gardening as a means of bolstering their own food security. Backyard gardening does not require a lot of space, and persons can save money by having a steady supply of fresh fruits and vegetables without relying on outside sources For one backyard farmer, Donald Lewis, the decision to cultivate his space was...