Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, is advising consumers to exercise care when shopping for fruits and vegetables this Christmas season.

He made the plea during a press briefing providing updates about the sector’s performance at the Ministry’s Hope Complex office in St. Andrew on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

Minister Green highlighted disparities with prices, adding that while price increases are unavoidable, the hikes in prices are usually found at the retail level as opposed to the farm gate level.

“For example, when we look at the...

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, through its Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection (PQPI) Branch in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), has employed the use of smart traps to enhance Jamaica’s pest surveillance and border protection capabilities, becoming the first country in the Caribbean region to do so.

According to PQPI’s Acting Chief Plant Quarantine Produce Inspector, Damian Rowe, the traps, which use a mobile app to monitor pests, have the capacity to automatically detect and identify target pests remotely and in real time thanks to...

Agriculture sector stakeholders and backyard gardeners are being encouraged to implement fertilisation regimes for usage regulation and safeguarding the environment.

Senior Lecturer at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), Spencer Jarrett, says persons using fertilisers must first understand how plants benefit.

“Plants benefit only when the fertiliser is in a dissolved state. It is from this dissolved state that the plant absorbs it. If it is too concentrated, that plant is going to die. You do not want to overfertilize; you want to be specific and know...

The Government has allocated $100 million to support 4,000 farmers in the production of Irish potatoes across 1,500 hectares of farmland.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, made the announcement at the launch of the 2024-2025 National Irish Potato Programme at the St. Michael’s Church in Claremont, St. Ann on Wednesday (Dec. 11).

Under the new programme farmers will be equipped with essential resources, including seeds, chemicals and fertilisers to boost production to respond to increasing market demands.

Local demand for Irish potato...