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Member of Parliament for South West St. Elizabeth, Floyd Green has pledged $1 million from his Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to the victims of the devastating fire in Flagaman, St. Elizabeth. Approximately 200 acres of farmlands were destroyed on Friday August 16, affecting 47 farmers at an estimated loss of 45 million dollars.

MP Green has been in the area since Friday assessing the damages and coordinating with the various agencies for a speedy response to issues of down power lines, cell service lines and other integral aspects to get the farmers back to normalcy.

The Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry is moving swiftly to assist approximately 47 farmers, who were affected by fire in Flagaman, St. Elizabeth last Friday (August 16). Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, said the Ministry will be providing topsoil, grass, seeds, fertilizer and sprays to enable the farmers to regain solid footing.

Following the recent signing of a tripartite agreement under the Alternative Development (AD) Project for the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use, cultivation of the herb is now underway in Accompong, St Elizabeth. The AD project is being implemented as a strategy to transition traditional cannabis farmers from an illicit framework into the regulated environment, which is currently the purview of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries.

In keeping with its Production and Productivity Programme, aimed at increasing production of strategically selected crops and livestock for local consumption but with export potential, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) distributed some 70,000 pineapple suckers to farmers in the western parishes of St Elizabeth, Hanover, Westmoreland St. Ann, Clarendon and St. James on Thursday, August 15.

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, is aiming to have the import/export regulations for cannabis promulgated in September. The Minister made the announcement at the official opening of the SENSI Cannabis House, at the Pulse Centre in New Kingston last Wednesday (August 14).

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw (centre) smells a medical marijuana product offered to him by State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green at the launch of Sensi Cannabis House at the Pulse Centre in Kingston on August 14. Sensi is a subsidiary of Marigold Projects Limited.

Work is progressing under the Essex Valley Agriculture Development Project in St. Elizabeth with four out of six irrigation wells to be constructed, already developed.

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, said the project is being funded by the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UK-CIF), to the tune of £35million and forms part of plans by the government to develop drip irrigation systems for farmers.

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Floyd Green, presents the winning trophy for Agro Business/Agro-Industry to Tiffany Moorhouse, Jamaica Agricultural Society Trelawny Parish Manager, at the official ceremony of the 67^th staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show on August 6.

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw shares in a photo opportunity with the farm queens who visited the Ministry’s St. Lucia offices in New Kingston on July 31. Minister Shaw held discussions on their plans for the future as well as the development of the agriculture sector. The winner of this year’s National Farm Queen Competition will be crowned on Monday , August 5, at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show.

On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, Minister Audley Shaw made his 2019 Sectoral Presentation titled, "On the Road to Prosperity...Growing Jamaica's Industries." Click here to read.