Sugar exports up, Coffee down

Jamaica has been exporting more sugar this year.
Data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, Statin, show exports in the first five months of the year were valued at US$44m.
That was up 11% from a year ago.
In the meantime, coffee exports have dipped.
Trade data show coffee exports were valued at US$7.4m between January and May.
That was down 14% when compared to 2013.

Despite the dip, coffee remained the biggest traditional agricultural export.

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Sugar exports up, Coffee down

Caribbean Airlines clears its arrears

Caribbean Airlines has paid over millions of dollars in outstanding fees which were owed to several local agencies.

This was disclosed last night by Transport Minister Dr. Omar Davies.

“They have cleared their arrears. In terms of service level, there have been other airlines which have come in those instances where they have cut back. So, there’s no shortage of airlift to Jamaica. But although there has been a change in Caribbean Airlines stroke Air Jamaica’s share of that airlift Dr Davies told RJR News.

Reports surfaced two years ago that Caribbean Airlines had racked up US$1.5m in debt to the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority and the Norman Manley International Airport.

The money was for unpaid airport fees and outstanding taxes.

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Caribbean Airlines clears its arrears

Jamaica welcomes close to 1.3 million tourists

Jamaica welcomed almost 1.3 million tourists over the first seven months of  the year. 

The Jamaica Tourist Board says the figure was 2 percent higher than last year. 

The strongest growth was seen from the Canadian and European markets helping the country to steadily reduce the dependence on the U.S. market for tourists.    
In the meantime, cruise arrivals were up 7 percent over last year.   

More than 845 thousand passengers on 246 ships visited Jamaica from January to July. 

Growth was seen in arrivals in Falmouth and Ocho Rios, but there was a decline in arrivals in Montego Bay.

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Jamaica welcomes close to 1.3 million tourists

Red Stripe appoints personel to senior management team

Red Stripe has appointed two new personnel to its senior management team.  

Dwaine Williams is now the Head of  Commercial operations; and Blandine Paul-Reid Head of  Marketing.  

The appointments take effect September 8 and October 1 respectively.

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Red Stripe appoints personel to senior management team

Domestic food production up

Information from the Bank of Jamaica shows there was an 8.4% increase in domestic crop production during the April to June quarter.
This reflected continued improvements in productivity and an increase in acreage under cultivation.
Domestic crop production increased to the highest level recorded for a June quarter since 1996.
According to the Bank of Jamaica’s quarterly monetary policy report, the expansion in acreage under cultivation was primarily influenced by the agro park initiative.
Productivity increased to 14.7 tonnes per hectare from 13.9 tonnes in the June 2013 quarter.
The recovery in export agriculture primarily reflected expansions in sugar cane milled, banana, cocoa as well as coffee production.

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Domestic food production up

Jamaica to ship bitumen to Trinidad

1:48 am, Fri September 5, 2014

Trinidad and Tobago has turned to Jamaica to help ease a shortage of  the petroleum product bitumen.Bitumen is a semi-solid form of  petroleum mixed with aggregate to form asphalt.Trinidad’s Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine confirmed that the twin island republic is facing a bitumen shortage and the State intends to import the material. A report in the Trinidad Express newspaper says the state-owned company Petrotrin, which produces bitumen at its refinery, is down for repairs.  The Minister said the bitumen was being ordered from Barbados and the first cargo is expected to arrive by September 10.A second batch was ordered from Jamaica. The Energy Minister said the private sector is also looking at importing from other sources in the region.

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Jamaica to ship bitumen to Trinidad

NCB warns customers about scams

National Commercial Bank, has issued a warning about phishing and internet scams.
The bank did not say whether its customers have been duped by the scam recently.
But NCB says it has never sent emails asking for updates or confirmation of account details.
The bank said, customers being asked to follow a link to its website or being asked to supply private banking information through an email, should ignore the message and contact it immediately.
Phishing and internet scams have recently been used to deceive persons into providing banking information.

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NCB warns customers about scams