| KINGSTON, May 20 (JIS): |
 The
Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project (EJASP) has implemented
approximately 78 micro projects in the parishes of Portland, St. Thomas,
St. Andrew and St. Mary, since its inception in 2000.Some of these projects include goat production, beekeeping, pineapple production, ginger cultivation, coffee and cocoa rehabilitation, mango top working, grape production, a marketing information system, agro-processing, vegetables, small scale dairy, land husbandry and several others. Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke made the disclosure while speaking in Gordon House during the 2004/05 Sectoral Debate on Tuesday, May 18. The project through its Plantain Replanting Project also replanted 43 hectares of its targeted 50 hectares, over the 2002/03 financial year. The replanting was carried out by 231 farmers in the parishes of St. Thomas, Portland and St. Mary. Turning to the Stabilization of Export Earning Project 2000 (STABEX), Minister Clarke said that STABEX rehabilitated parochial and farm access roads in the EJASP areas, and other areas of the country. These rehabilitated roads include the Cedar Valley to Moy Hall, Bath to Hayfield and Bath to Mount Mansfield Roads in St. Thomas. Contracts are also to be awarded soon for the rehabilitation of roads in Portland and St. Mary. Both projects, EJASP and STABEX are European Union-funded projects. Turning to research and development, the Minister said that the Research Division of the Ministry had continued to improve on its Integrated Pest Management packages for hot pepper, pumpkin and papaya, among others. Additionally, he said that bio-control agents for the control of Pink Mealy Bug are being maintained in cultures, and form part of the country’s preparedness strategy for the possible entry of this devastating pest. “We have continued in the development and evaluation of new hot pepper, pumpkin and tomato cultivars that are adaptable to local conditions, are high yielding and are disease resistant,” the Minister said. The ‘Bodles Globe’, a true breeding and stable open pollinated cultivar, was introduced to the farming community during last month (April 2004). The Minister further stated that the Mulberry plant, which was recently introduced into Jamaica for evaluation in our feeding systems, had produced a yield that was comparable to many of the grasses currently on the island. “The crude protein levels and organic matter digestibility were shown to be high, and preliminary results indicate that this plant has the potential to facilitate high levels of animal production, thus reducing the dependence on imported feeds,” he said. Continuing, he said, “we are playing an important role in the development of the Herb/Nutraceutical industry. We are focused on the rejuvenation of pimento, ginger and sorrel, and we intend to fill the information gap that exists on Fever Grass, Rosemary, Turmeric, Kola Nut and Sarsaparilla”. |
