ONE-MINUTE READS ... News from across Jamaica

Pure bred goats imported to boost local breeds

A total of 50 goats, including the Boer, Nubian and Kiko breeds, arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on Monday.

The animals have been imported under the Government's small ruminant development programme.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Pearnel Charles Jr said the goats' genetic superiority is intended to "change the prospect of small ruminants for our country".

He said the 50 goats are the first batch of some 200 being brought in, with a total of 6,000 animals to be imported over the next three years.

"So, this is an enormous positive for agriculture and several benefits to our farmers, particularly the farmers who, for long, have been yearning for us to have the higher quality, the genetics that will allow for the goats to breed faster, to have greater yield in meat [and] greater yield in milk," Charles Jr added.

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Charlemont gets water harvesting system

Charlemont High School in St Catherine has benefited from a water harvesting project courtesy of Food For The Poor.

The project involves the provision of five 1,000-gallon water tanks at the institution. Principal Garth Gayle said that with the implementation of the water harvesting system, "Things are finally starting to look up as it relates to improvements in the water availability."

Charlemont has a student population of over 1,500, with some 84 teachers and 30 non-teaching staff. Chronic water issues have affected operations at school.

"We would have to collect water from a well system in the community, but in recent years that well became unreliable, and we had to start purchasing water from water trucks. We also bought water tanks. The water harvesting project has significantly improved operations," Gayle said.

Food For The Poor has been implementing water harvesting projects in institutions across the island, thus encouraging the sustainable management of water and helping to solve challenges related to sanitation.

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JPS move to curb electricity theft in Tower Hill

Tower Hill, which is located in the Kingston 11 area, is the latest to be targeted by the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) in its quest to reduce electricity theft on the island.

The light and power company has installed the Residential Advanced Metering Infrastructure system in the area, and has transferred more than 270 existing customers to the new structure.

According to the JPS, approximately US$1 million or J$154 million has been spent on the implementation of the system. With the new system, illegal connections will be removed and the ability to illegally connect to the network will be significantly reduced, as of the end of March 2023.

The electrical infrastructure development work in Tower Hill started in October 2022, under the JPS Community Renewal programme, which seeks to improve quality of life for residents in selected communities, by providing upgraded, regularised electricity service.

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Red Stripe expands to produce more beer

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has hailed the $2.2-billion Cellars Expansion for Beer Production (CERS) project by Red Stripe as a symbol of confidence in Jamaica.

He said that the project represents a significant investment in the iconic brand, which is world renowned for its quality and is a critical symbol of Jamaica's cultural legacy.

"It is a very important sign that the country is doing well, that you, as an international company that has options all over, that you continue to put your money in the factory that is right here on Jamaican soil to produce this great beer. It is a powerful symbol of confidence in Jamaica," Prime Minister Holness said.

He was addressing the official launch and unveiling of the project on Tuesday at the plant's Spanish Town Road location in Kingston.

CERS was designed to address an urgent need to increase capacity to satisfy the growing demand for Red Stripe products and rectify the technical issues of the existing horizontal beer storage tank blocks.

As part of the project, Red Stripe replaced and extended the cellars' storage to allow for a 34 per cent increase in capacity.

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