Caribbean News
JAMAICA: Bamboo Factory for Hanover
Montego Bay, May 28, 2019 – Jamaica – Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says an investor has expressed interest in opening a bamboo factory in the parish of Hanover. He made the disclosure during his address at the Hanover Agricultural Show held at the Jockey Factory in Lucea on Saturday (May 25).
“This is the parish with the largest amount of bamboo. Bamboo is growing all over Hanover, and we want to ensure that something can be done about all of this bamboo that you have growing wild,” he said.
“There is an investor who is coming in who is looking to set up a business at one of your school [properties] which is now idle. They are going to be setting up a bamboo factory there. We are also going to have the expertise whereby we can have things constructed using bamboo,” he noted.
Minister Hutchinson outlined that bamboo can be used to make a wide array of small items as well as large infrastructure such as bridges and buildings.
“I recently went to China and I saw where they made bridges out of bamboo as well as bicycles, paper, towels and buildings. We want to produce all those items right here [in Jamaica],” he pointed out.
For his part, Custos of Hanover, Hon. Dr. David Stair, implored farmers to practise responsible agricultural techniques in order to preserve the environment.
“Gone are the days when we dug a yam hill and hoped for the best. All of us who farm will now have to understand the science behind it, so that we do not destroy the environment with our practices, including slash and burn and the indiscriminate use of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. These not only harm the environment, but they lead to our own demise in the long-term,” the Custos said.
Dr. Stair further underscored the importance of the agriculture sector, noting that it is the foundation of the nation.
“If we are unable to feed our people, then we cannot have productive workers; if we are unable to grow food in Jamaica, we cannot benefit fully from our hotels getting tourists. We would just be another destination,” he noted.
“Every farmer, whether large or small, has to now farm smarter. Agriculture now has to, therefore, be reintegrated in a more meaningful way into our growth discussions. It is through shows like these and the coming together of all of the various subsectors in agriculture that we foster the discussions that will allow a more viable approach to our producing more, conserving more and improving lives,” Dr. Stair argued.
The Hanover Agricultural Show was held in collaboration with the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) and the Hanover Association of Branch Societies (HABS). Various agencies of government, as well as several farmers and business entities participated in the event.
The day’s activities included a stage show, farm queen competition and farmers’ competition.
The event was held under the theme ‘Agriculture: Producing more…Conserving more…improving lives’.
Contact: Serena Grant
Release: JIS
Photo Captions:
3560 – Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson (centre), looks at a bottle of black castor oil manufactured by Cestan Hills Nature’s Beauty and Delight, while the entity’s owner, Madge Conliffe (left), explains the benefits of the product. Occasion was the Hanover Agricultural Show, which was held at the Jockey Factory in Lucea on Saturday (May 25). At right is Local Economic Development Coordinator at the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) Hanover office, Kimberly Ashley.
3696 – Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson (left), greets contestants in the Hanover Agricultural Show farm queen competition, at the event held at the Jockey Factory in Lucea, Hanover, on Saturday (May 25).
3756 – Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson (left) discusses rabbit rearing with general agriculture student at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), Shashel Ricketts. Occasion was the Hanover Agricultural Show held at the Jockey Factory in Lucea on Saturday (May 25).
Serena Grant Photos
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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