VOL.6, ISSUE # 9
FEBRUARY 2019
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
A Q ua r te rl y N e ws l e tte r of t h e Scie n t if ic R e s e a rch Co un cil , Ja m a ica
This Newsletter highlights news, events and activities in Science & Technology (S&T) and related subjects which have taken place primarily in Jamaica over the last month.
IN THIS ISSUE: 1 | AGRICULTURE 3 | BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 3 | CLIMATE CHANGE
Students of Ferncourt High School listen intently to Dr. Cliff Riley, Executive Director of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) during the recent visit of SRC to the school.
AGRICULTURE
4 | ENERGY 4 | ENVIRONMENT
Salada Sets Strategy To Improve Profit Margins
6 | HEALTH ISSUES 8 | INNOVATION 9 | MEDICAL MARIJUANA 10| SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Local manufacturer of instant coffee products Salada Foods Jamaica Ltd will undertake a three-pronged approach to improve performance for the upcoming fiscal year, after posting a loss of $23 million for the December quarter of 2018.General manager of Salada Foods Jamaica Limited Dianna Blake-Bennett in a press release yesterday [...]
'A happy Pig Provides Good Quality Meat' Martin Zsifkovics, the man who has held the national Champion Farmer title since 2017, says he has entered a partnership with Hi-Pro, Jamaica's largest supplier of animal feeds, to provide what the company said are quality products needed to reap the best results from crops and livestock.[...]
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Making Science & Technolog y work for you
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
Jamaica Issues Not Created Overnight, Won't End Overnight Prior to Independence, Jamaica's economy was focused on agriculture, with the majority of the labour force employed in the production of sugar, bananas and tobacco. Since Independence, however, mining, manufacturing, remittance, and tourism are the most important components of Jamaica's economy. In the 1980s the State reduced its role in the economy due to structural adjustments and economic liberalisation [ …]
Commerce Ministry Condemns 70 Tonnes Of Spoilt Imported Rice The Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID), in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF) says it has confiscated 70 metric tonnes (1,575 bags) of White Cinderella rice from Guyana due to high microbial content.The rice, valued at approximately $4.6 million, was imported from Guyana by a local distributor was found to have signs of mould growth, clumping discolouration and wetting […]
Government Boosting Castor Bean Cultivation — Shaw The Government says it has identified 2,000 acres of land in Mitchell Town, Clarendon for increased castor bean cultivation.This is expected to significantly boost local production of castor oil, according to Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Audley Shaw.“Exciting times are ahead and we are going to appropriate and put in technology to make sure that things are done properly,[…]
Agriculture Ministry Looking At Doubling Fish Sanctuaries The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries is looking at doubling the number of fish sanctuaries across the island to ensure sustainability of the industry. There are currently 18 sanctuaries, which are no-fishing zones reserved for the reproduction of fish populations. Portfolio Minister Audley Shaw said that a survey will be undertaken to determine the additional sanctuaries […]
Maggi Highlights Women Flourishing In Agriculture Maggi Highlights Women Flourishing In Agriculture People visiting the Maggi Farmers' Market in Mandela Park, Half-Way-Tree last Friday could not miss the fact that many of the farmers selling produce were women. We women always love to plant. When we plant and the things grow, they look pretty,” Rosemarie Graham, a farmer from Bog walk in St Catherine, told the Jamaica Observer. […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT HEART Trust/NTA Launches Sector Skills Council With Business Leaders The HEART Trust/NTA on Wednesday officially launched the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), an independent, employer-led committee designed to analyse and address skills development, within key sectors of the economy. The launch took place at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. The council comprises employers from nine major sectors: […]
PEP Will Foster Entrepreneurship Among Youth, Says Green State Minister Floyd Green says the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) will assist in fostering entrepreneurship among young persons .He contended that “it will cultivate more independent thinkers”, citing this as a “critical need” in business. Green, who was up to Wednesday the junior education minister before his transfer yesterday to the agriculture ministry, […]
CPJ Invests US$10 Million In New Distribution Centre The 25-year-old Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited (CPJ) had a grand opening of its new US$10-million distribution centre inside the Montego Freeport yesterday. Executive chairman of CPJ Mark Hart attributed the new development to low interest rates introduced by former Finance Minister Audley Shaw, who was the guest speaker at the opening […]
CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change And Its Impact On Food Safety The climate change discourse has been represented in numerous ways across different countries, causing governments to develop and implement policies that will help their people to adapt to or mitigate the impact of occurrences that may arise as a result of changes in weather events and temperatures. […]
Government Driving Climate Change Policy Cabinet Secretary, Ambassador Douglas Saunders, says that work is ongoing in the implementation of the Climate Change Policy Framework and Action Plan. The policy seeks to provide a strategic and integrated approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities created by climate change while honouring the country's commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
ENERGY IDT Rules Against Petrojam The Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) on Monday ruled that Roselle Scott-Heron was unjustifiably dismissed as human resources manager at Petrojam in December 2016 and awarded her 12 months' salary as compensation. The IDT made the ruling after hearing evidence from both sides in seven sittings between February 5, 2018 and October 23, 2018 […] Hospitals, Schools To Be Retrofitted With Energy-Saving Devices Several hospitals and educational institutions are to be retrofitted in the upcoming fiscal year in keeping with the Government's drive to make public facilities more energy efficient. A sum of $989.78 million has been provided in the 2019/20 Estimates of Expenditure under the Energy Management and Efficiency Programme (EMEP) to provide energy-saving solutions at the Falmouth[…]
Workshops Encourages Health Sector Workers To Save Energy More than 150 of Jamaica's health sector employees are participating in a series of technical training and sensitisation workshops as part of a major initiative to reduce energy bills in the health sector and across the nation's public sector. The first was held Tuesday and the final is scheduled for February 21.The two technical training and two sensitisation sessions are scheduled for Kingston, Mandeville and Montego Bay, […]
JGRA Surveying Members Regarding 'Bad Gas' Claim The Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association (JGRA) is conducting a survey of its members to try and determine if petroleum being sold to the retail trade is contaminated. There were claims of petrol or 'bad gas' contamination in the past, but the findings of a Government-ordered investigation proved inconclusive. Now, JGRA President Gregory Chung, in response to a Sunday Gleaner article last week which suggested, among other things, that more smelly 'bad gas' could be on the market […]
ENVIROMENT Jamaica Climate Change Youth Council To Host Expo The Jamaica Climate Change Youth Council (JCCYC), along with other youth environmental groups, are targeting young people from high schools, community groups and colleges across Jamaica for their second signature event: 'Youth Climate Action Expo' on March 16.According to director of the JCCYC, Eleanor Terrelonge, the event, which will be held at Campion College's auditorium, will focus this year on the recently introduced ban on single-use plastics and styrofoam […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
Throne Speech: Environmental Laws To Be Amended The Government will amend a number of climate and environment-related legislation in the 2019/20 fiscal year, in an effort to strengthen the regulatory framework governing the management and sustainable use of Jamaica's biological and natural resources.This was disclosed by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen in delivering the throne speech at the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Thursday. [ …]
Banning plastic: How Jamaica Moved To Save Its Environment Jamaica had a history of having one of the highest per capita uses of plastic bags in the world, with the average national estimated to use around 500 bags each year. The problem of plastic waste has been evident in Jamaica for a prolonged period, and I believe it really just required someone to drive the process. Last month, Jamaica introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and Styrofoam, in a bid to reduce the impact plastic is having on the environment. […]
Which Must Come First, Development Or Environmental Protection? Many in the construction industry, both private and public, feel strongly that environmental activists, supported by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), are bent on stifling Jamaica's economic development. Those who feel this way are loathe to voice this publicly because protecting the natural environment of Jamaica is a national good and it is a PR nightmare to be critical of this goal. […]
Stronger Environment Laws Coming The Government will amend a number of climate and environment-related legislation in the 2019/20 fiscal year, in an effort to strengthen the regulatory framework governing the management and sustainable use of Jamaica's biological and natural resources.This was disclosed by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen in delivering the throne speech at the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Thursday […]
Video: Illegal Dump Operator Arrested The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) said that the man, whose identity was not released, offers garbage removal services and would dump the garbage at his property to avoid paying a fee to use the Riverton disposal site just outside Kingston.“ Acting on intelligence we came here and we saw a resident right at this premises harbouring and storing a number of different types of material […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
HEALTH ISSUES
Derrimon Expands Product Line With No-Added-Sugar Drinks The three beverages, Viva, Busta Chill, and Juciful Vibes, are in response to a ban on sugary drinks in schools and public institutions, effective January 1, by Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton. In making the announcement to restrict sugary drinks in schools and public health institutions, Tufton argued that there was evidence that excessive consumption of drinks […]
Norbrook Muscles Up With Express Fitness Acquisition Investment holding company Norbrook Equity Partners has acquired a 70 per cent stake in one of Jamaica's largest gym chains, Express Fitness Ltd.Through the acquisition, Norbrook Equity aims to leverage its tenured investment and operating expertise to position Express Fitness as the leading provider of health and wellness solutions across the Caribbean region […]
Wrong Reason! Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton is facing harsh and intense criticism from People's National Party (PNP) councillors at the Hanover Municipal Corporation over a town-hall meeting scheduled for today in Lucea, which they say is expected to focus on obesity, and not the current dengue outbreak on the island.The Ministry of Health in partnership with the Western Regional Health Authority meeting […]
Discrimination Against People With HIV Must End' Dr Christopher Tufton is calling for the redoubling of efforts to end discrimination against people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).Delivering the keynote address at the official opening of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Medical Centre on Hagley Park Road in St Andrew on Monday, the minister of health said while some groups are more vulnerable […]
Tufton Welcomes Modern X-ray System At UHWI Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton says he welcomes the addition of a new DDR X-ray machine to the growing storehouse of modern, medical technology resources available now at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) at Mona.“This piece of equipment represents modern technology — giving better accuracy and less processing time for patients,”
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
A Fitness Plan For The New Mother Here is not only plenty of pressure on new mothers to lose the pregnancy weight, but being a mom, especially a working mom, can mean that it will get pretty hectic between taking care of the kids, the house, the hubby, and just about everything else you have responsibility for. Unfortunately, that often means sacrificing your own self-care most times. But if you are the best version of yourself for those you love and keep everything else afloat […]
Ministry Moves To Accommodate More Patients At Hospitals, Clinics The Ministry of Health says it is working to ensure the timely delivery of health care, amidst a growing number of visits to Accident & Emergency Units at public hospitals for suspected dengue, gastro -enteritis and flu-like or upper respiratory illness.At the same time, the ministry, in a release yesterday, said children with symptoms of these conditions can now access the University Hospital of the West Indies for assessment and treatment […] Be Careful Of That Unripe Ackee Most countries have a favourite or national dish. Popular with residents and forming part of a country's identity, they are an important experience for visitors, too.Ackee, Jamaica's national fruit, is not only a staple of the Jamaican diet, it is also socio-economically valuable, as its culltivation serves as a great employment opportunity for people in rural areas, where it is grown and processed […]
Diet And Depression If you often experience feelings of prolonged sadness, despair, anxiety, worry, or believe you are suffering from depression, don't stop at uncertainty or self-diagnosis — speak with your family doctor regarding counseling options. People have weight issues for a range of reasons, including upbringing, society, habituation, genetics, friends, the effects of advertising, and stress, but we are looking at weight issues due to depression[…]
Caribbean Moves Towards Taxing Of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages With skyrocketing rates of overweight and obesity facing Caribbean nations, policymakers are increasingly being challenged to find solutions for this public health emergency. This challenge was significantly responded to this year in January when the Government of Jamaica implemented guidelines to restrict the sale of sugary beverages in Jamaican schools. […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
Vaccine Could Virtually Eliminate Cervical Cancer The rapid scale-up of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine could virtually eliminate cervical cancer in a handful of rich countries within three decades and in most other nations by century's end, researchers said last Wednesday. Without screening and HPV vaccination, more than 44 million women will likely be diagnosed with the disease over the next 50 years, […]
Dangers To Watch Out For In Pregnancy Most women will enjoy little or no complications during their pregnancy. However, for other momsto-be, obstetrician-gynecologist at ICON Medical Centre Dr Keisha Buchanan says pregnancy can be a treacherous road riddled with serious and sometimes life-threatening complications. But with so many new things happening with a woman's body, how does she discern what is normal […]
Government Hails Progress Made To Reduce Infant Mortality The government says there has been significant progress under the Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC), since its launch in 2013.The programme, being spearheaded by the Ministry of Health under a GOJ-European Union (EU) bilateral agreement with funding support of approximately €22 million, […]
INNOVATION Hospital Gets Off-Grid System That Makes Water From Sunlight, Air Solar Buzz Jamaica has successfully completed installation of an off-grid and self-contained hydropanel system that makes drinking water from sunlight and air at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) Children's Ward.The technology, called Source, uses advanced water capture technology (a Source unit) to make water from sunlight and air. […]
MMJ To Be Highlighted On Innovations MMJ International Holdings, a medical sciences research company based in the United States and Jamaica, will take part in an upcoming episode of the award-winning television documentary series, Innovations . MMJ has gained attention through its innovative work with leading scientists around the world in advancing the science of medical marijuana through patient clinical research […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
MEDICAL MARIJUANA Kaya Invests $33 million In Medical Cannabis Dispensary In Falmouth The historic town of Falmouth, the parish capital, welcomed Kaya Herb House's $33million investment in a medical cannabis dispensary during a glitzy opening ceremony on Wednesday.Trelawny is now on the cusp of becoming the newest destination and resort area of Jamaica.BalramVaswani, chief ganja officer of Kaya, noted that the opening of the Falmouth facility brings the sum to some $150 million […]
Ganja Guru Objects To Shaw's Suggestion Local marijuana guru RasIyah V is strongly objecting to Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Audley Shaw's suggestion that farmers cultivate medicinal marijuana low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and high in cannabidiol (CBD) that meets with the laws of the United States of America, as a means of overcoming the threat of de-risking.Iyah V argued that Jamaica […]
CanaQuest Signs Agreement With Jamaican Medical Cannabis Corporation CanaQuest Medical Corp, a developer of cannabis- infused health products and pharmaceuticals, has signed a preliminary agreement with Jamaican Medical Cannabis Corporation (JMCC) to provide processing, packaging, warehousing and global distribution services for CanaQuest in Jamaica.JMCC is a Toronto-headquartered company, […]
Shaw Encouraged By Senator Kamala Harris' Recent Support For Ganja Legalization Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw is fired up by United States presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris' recent support for marijuana legalisation.“I was very encouraged to see a presidential candidate of Jamaican heritage, Kamala Harris, who came out last week to speak up on the issue of speeding up the legalisation of marijuana […]
Not necessary, Minister Shaw At least one local cannabis company is disagreeing with Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Audley Shaw's decision to explore the production of medicinal marijuana low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and high in cannabidiol (CBD) that conforms to the laws of the United States of America, as a means of overcoming the contentious hurdle of de-risking. […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY February 11 Is International Day Of Women And Girls In Science In Observance of 'International Day of Women and Girls in Science' on February 11, the Ministry of Science and Technology will undertake a social media campaign to highlight the work of female scientists throughout its divisions and agencies. Chief Research Officer in the ministry's Planning, Development and Evaluation Division, Zahra Oliphant […]
Women's Centre Students Empowered By Technology Tour A group of 25 students from the Women's Centre Foundation of Jamaica (WCFJ) in Mandeville participated in a specially designed technology tour at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) on Monday, February 11 observed as International Day for Girls and Women in Science.The initiative was part of IGT Jamaica's continued efforts to expose the students from its After School Advantage
Women In Science I hadn't been aware that there were doors closed to me until I started knocking on them.” — Gertrude Elion The lack of female representation in science is problematic. On February 11 the United Nations along with the international community commemorates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Despite the fact that women represent half of the world's population […]
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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
CALL: (876) 927-1771– 4 VISIT www.src.gov.jm
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