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JAMAICA: Local Produce in School-Feeding Programme Will Improve Children’s Health

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#Kingston, March 25, 2019 – Jamaica – Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says formalizing a national school-feeding programme using local produce, will ensure improved health for children and a stable income for farmers.

The Minister, who was addressing stakeholders in the agricultural sector at Dencon Foods and Farm in Spring Plain, Clarendon, on March 21, said the plan, which will be implemented soon, will be “money well spent”.

“We will be doing two things – creating wealth in the brain through nutrition, and creating wealth in the farms, by growing more to feed our children,” Mr. Shaw told the audience.

The Minister said the initiative can be implemented in “unity” between large operators and small farmers.  He lauded Dencon, whose parent company is in microlending, for its venture into agricultural production, and as a source of “inspiration” for businesses to expand and diversify.

The company is currently in onion production with more than 92 acres of the crop, and the Minister said another 200 acres will be leased to the company as they move to grow other crops.

According to Chief Executive Officer of the company, Hurshel Cyrus, Dencon Foods and Farm has in place the largest single production of onion since the 1980s, and its warehousing and post-harvesting facilities can dry and cure one million pounds of crop every three to four days.

“This facility will give us the ability to store varying vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, cabbage and others, for relatively long periods of time,” Mr. Cyrus said.    

He told JIS News that the company sees a “big opportunity, where we can provide employment for people, with better wages and living conditions at our dormitories”.

Mr. Cyrus said when Dencon is at full operation as a “mother farm”, smaller farmers will have access to their technology.  He added that the company is in the community to stay, and they will perfect the growing and production of onion, and grow many other crops, such as peas, corn, and string beans.

The CEO said the company will build more post-harvest facilities to support local farmers, “and as we get the knowledge, we will share it, so all can benefit”.

Contact: Garfield L. Angus

Release: JIS

Photographer: Rudranath Fraser

Header: Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw (left), listens keenly as Farm Operations Manager at Dencon Foods and Farm in Clarendon, Nicholas Duke (stooping), explains methods of onion production at the company, during a tour of the farm on March 21. Also on the tour (from second left) are Chief Executive Officer of the company, Hurshel Cyrus; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dermon Spence, and Chairman of Dencon, Clive Blackwood.   

Insert: Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, displays an onion grown at Dencon Foods and Farm in Spring Plain, Clarendon, during a tour on March 21.    

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS DELEGATION ATTENDANCE AT THE NORTH CARIBBEAN SECURITY SUMMIT 21-22 MARCH 2024

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Her Excellency the Governor, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, is in Nassau this week, leading a delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands to the Third Annual Northern Caribbean Security Summit. The forum brings together security leads from the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, the US and the UK to focus collective critical efforts against shared threats in the region.

The delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands includes the Hon. Minister of Immigration Arlington Musgrove, the Hon. Attorney General, Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles OBE KC and senior leaders from Border Force, the Department of Rehabilitation and Community Supervision, the Financial Intelligence Agency, the National Security Secretariat, the Regiment and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Additionally, the UK delegation includes the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Deputy Director, the Head of the UK Joint Maritime Security Centre and regional leads from the Ministry of Defence and the National Crime Agency.

Her Excellency the Governor opened the Turks and Caicos Islands’ contribution with a strategic overview of the security situation and growing capabilities. Presentations were given by members of the delegation on the Turks and Caicos Islands’ security posture to tackle transnational organised crime, coordinated efforts in developing the intelligence picture, cyber security, border security, financial crimes and wider impacts from the deterioration of Haiti.

Her Excellency the Governor held meetings with partners to discuss and prioritise areas of tactical focus and joint operations around irregular migration and securing maritime borders, including with the Commissioner of the Royal Bahamian Police Force (with his senior leadership team), the Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, senior leaders of the US Coast Guard and the US Customs and Border Protection. Outcomes of which, underpin increased operational coordination and information sharing. 

While in Nassau, Her Excellency also made courtesy visits to Her Excellency the Governor-General Cynthia A Pratt, Hon. Speaker of the House of Assembly Patrcia Deveaux, the Rt Rev Bishop Laish Boyd, the British High Commissioner to the Bahamas Tom Hartley, and the Turks and Caicos Islands Diaspora Office.

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