(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was invited by the Government of Jamaica to establish a Mission to observe the General Elections to be held on December 29, 2011.
In response to that invitation, a seven (7) member Observer Group under the leadership of Mr. Winston Estwick of Barbados, was selected. Mr. Estwick and three (3) members arrived in Jamaica on Monday, 26 December 2011.
The other members of the Group are_
SUGAR PRODUCED from the 2010-2011 sugar cane crop was 139,594 tonnes, an increase over the 122,104 tonnes produced in the 2009-2010 crop. The amount represents a turnaround of a downward trend in sugar production since 2007 when the industry produced 164,387 tonnes of sugar.
The total represents the seventh largest amount of sugar produced in any one season over the last decade. In 2004, a tonnage of 183,672 was achieved, eclipsing the 174,640 tonnes produced in 2002.
As Jamaica seeks to slash high import food bills, the country and its farmers are reaping success with greenhouse technology.
THE Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA) yesterday joined the agricultural sector in expressing concern regarding the proposed reduction in the Common External Tariff (CET).
"If duties are reduced, this will threaten the existence of several locally manufactured products, which will have implications for agriculture as well as the socio-economic health of the country," said a statement issued yesterday by the JMA.
JAMAICA Ethanol Processing has shut down its ethanol plant and terminated 31 jobs after 26 years in the business.
The move was completed last week after three consecutive years of rising input costs helped to sever margins and drive the company out of an ethanol market in which it started operating long before the other two operators in Jamaica — Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG) and Petrojam.
This is the conclusion of a two-part interview with former Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton. Part one was published on Sunday, July 10.
DR Christopher Tufton remembers taking heavy flak for the sugar industry divestment programme and the introduction of the Farmers' Markets during his tenure as agriculture and fisheries minister but remains convinced that his actions were justified.
In fact, he marks both projects as among the Government's major achievements that have respectively saved jobs and given consumers and farmers options.
The Jamaican Government has placed an order for sugar from Guyana to avert shortages in that CARICOM country.
Quoting the Agriculture Ministry, the Jamaican Observer yesterday said that it has put in place measures to avert a shortage of sugar on the local market and has urged distributors not to hoard the product.
In a statement Wednesday, the Ministry assured the distributive trade that “adequate arrangements have been made to supply the market until local production comes on stream”.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)Â Â Â Â The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Programme Manager for Culture and Community Development, Dr Hilary Brown is of the opinion that the Caribbean needs to do more to strengthen its heritage tourism product.
She believes that “much more could be done” to develop the Region’s natural and built heritage which is an invaluable resource in building Heritage Tourism.
Salutations
I congratulate the Board of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) and its General Manager, Mrs. Marlene Street-Forrest for organizing what portends to be a most exciting Conference.
The timing is opportune as the Caribbean struggles for survival in a changed and most uncertain global economic environment and as the international community struggles to help Haiti rebuild after the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010.
I consider this Conference to be both visionary and timely.
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Arising from consultations held in Kingston, Jamaica, January 5-7, the Government of Haiti and representatives of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) agreed on several key project proposals designed to strengthen Haiti’s institutional and technical capacity in three priority areas_ housing and settlement development; physical and environmental planning; and infrastructure development and coordination.