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JAMAICA: Agriculture Minister commits to development of Dairy Industry

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#Kingston, March 19, 2019 – Jamaica – The Government is assuring dairy farmers that it is committed to the growth and development of the industry, and wants to see milk production restored to the high levels experienced in the mid-1980s to early 1990s.

During that period, Jamaica produced approximately 40 million litres of liquid milk.  Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says Jamaica “is only producing about 50 per cent of the milk we consume today”.

He was speaking at the handover of a silo press and packer to the Jamaica Dairy Development Board, at the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, on March 14.

“With all the land we have in Jamaica, we should be self-sufficient in milk and we should be exporting processed and even fresh milk,” the Minister said.  

“We need to expand our local production of milk as we work towards a reduction of our high food-import bill,” he added.

Mr. Shaw further argued that for Jamaica to achieve increased production and expansion of the dairy industry, addressing the constraints that negatively impact the sector, which include poor animal nutrition, is required.

The equipment handed over was secured at a cost of approximately US$12,000 under the Jamaica Rural Economy and Ecosystems Adapting to Climate Change (Ja REEACH) project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and will improve access to nutritious feed material for cattle.

“The silo press will be able to pack up to 50 tonnes of silage at a time. With this intensified conservation of forages and other feeds, we believe we will be able to stem production losses, particularly in the dry season,” Mr. Shaw said.

He added that the silo packer presents an opportunity for others, in particular sugar-cane farmers, to dedicate a percentage of their crop towards animal feed.  Feeding sugar cane to all classes of livestock, including cattle, has become commonplace, as it is a good source of nutrition for those animals.

“It is the intention of the Board to significantly increase the quantity and availability of conserved forages in the form of hay, haylage and silage in the upcoming months to offer our farmers low-cost options for feeding livestock and expanding production,” Mr. Shaw said.

Meanwhile, the Minister informed that the Ministry is working to redevelop the Bodles Research Station in order to return it to its pride of place as a symbol of excellence in agricultural research in the Caribbean.

“So, in addition to the provision of modern equipment and techniques, we are also engaged in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, and here at Bodles, $300 million was allocated in the 2018/2019 financial year on redevelopment projects,” the Minister pointed out.

To date, work is advanced on a number of buildings, including a cattle barn, the bio control laboratory, the sewerage system, farrowing pen, administrative building and bathroom facilities, which have been renovated. By the end of the financial year, it is expected that some $140 million would have been expended.

For his part, newly appointed State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green, told students who were in attendance that more young people should look to agriculture as a viable alternative. They included students from the College of AgricultureScience and Education (CASE) and the Sydney Pagon STEM Academy.

Contact: Chad Bryan

Release: JIS

Header: Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw (centre), cuts the ribbon to symbolically hand over a silo press and packer to the Jamaica Dairy Development Board, at the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, on March 14. Observing (from left) are State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd  Green, and Chief Operating Officer of Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), Sylvia Megret.

Insert: Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, emphasises a point at the handover of a silo press and packer to the Jamaica Dairy Development Board, at the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, on March 14.

Dave Reid photos

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Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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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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Caribbean News

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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