Article Archive

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries is reminding all fisherfolk, traders and the public at large that the Conch Close Season is still in effect and any breaches of the Close Season Order will be severely penalized in accordance with the Fisheries Act 2018.

By way of Ministerial Order the Honourable Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries declared, a Close Season for queen conch (Genus Strombus) for the period March 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020.

The Order states, inter alia, that during the...

The Tropical Race 4 (TR4) Disease of banana or fusarium wilt is a deadly disease of bananas and plantains. It is caused by the soil-borne fungus, Fusarium oxysporumf.sp.cubense. TR4 is not currently present in Jamaica and it is very important to keep it out of the country. If you see signs of TR4, contact the PQPI Branch at 977-0637 or 977-6401 or the Banana Board at 922-2083 or 383-7235. Click here to visit TR4 webpage.

Jamaica’s agricultural sector’s resilience to climate change has been boosted with the handover of an upgraded US$200,000 seed bank facility at the Bodles Research Station that will improve the station’s ability to increase its seed-producing capacity as well as house seeds of climate-resilient crop varieties.

“This is important as it will enable us to have a faster recovery time for the sector in the event of natural disasters as the planting material will now be more readily available for use in the replanting exercises,” said the Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Commerce...