Hon J.C. Hutchinson, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, discusses castor beans with Madge Corniffe, owner of Gestan Hills Nature’s Beauty & Delight manufacturers of castor oil and coconut oil, at the 4th staging of the Hanover Agricultural Show held in Lucea, Hanover, on May 25.
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon J.C. Hutchinson, says a new bamboo factory is to be established in Hanover.
Speaking at the 4th staging of the Hanover Agricultural Show in Lucea on May 25, Minister Hutchinson said the bamboo factory will be established by an investor on a property that was previously home to an educational institution.
Mr Hutchinson pointed out the potential of bamboo for the production of several value-added products and noted that the parish of Hanover had the largest amount of bamboo that was growing wild.
In commending the over 7,000 registered farmers in Hanover for their commitment to the agricultural sector, Minister Hutchinson encouraged them to increase their production utilising the over 2,00 hectares of arable land available within Hanover to increase their supply of produce in order to satisfy the large demand, especially in the tourism industry.
“Data in the 2014 Tourism Demand Study indicate that up to 25%, representing some $4.96b of our annual demand for agricultural products, is imported,” said Minister Hutchinson.
He further explained that of the 1.07 million pounds of agricultural products demanded by hotels on a monthly basis the top three items were meats, fruits and vegetables, respectively.
Minister Hutchinson assured the farmers that with the establishment of the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) they could now market their produce to t
