Carib Scope

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  • Douglas smashes Under-20 200m record twice in a week

    Douglas smashes Under-20 200m record twice in a week

    The 53rd edition of the Carifta Games wrapped up its final day of competition on Monday at Grenada’s Kirani James Athletics Stadium, where rising Jamaican sprint star Shanoya Douglas delivered a historic performance that cemented her status as one of the world’s most promising young track athletes.

    Just seven days after breaking Briana Williams’ six-year-old Jamaica Under-20 200m record at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, Douglas smashed her own newly minted mark of 22.36 seconds with a blistering time of 22.11 seconds, set with a 1.9m/s tailwind. The result not only earned her the 200m gold medal but also completed a back-to-back sprint double at the regional youth athletics showcase, following her 100m title win on Saturday.

    This standout time places Douglas in elite company globally. Her 22.11 seconds is tied for the third-fastest Under-20 women’s 200m time in history, matching the mark set by United States sprint legend Allyson Felix. Only Namibia’s Christine Mboma, who ran 21.78 seconds in 2021, and American sprinter JaMeesia Ford, who clocked 22.08 seconds in June 2024, have posted faster times at the under-20 level. Douglas also knocked down a 12-year-old Carifta Games record in the event, shaving more than six-tenths of a second off Shaunae Miller’s 2013 mark of 22.77 seconds. On the day of her record run, Douglas claimed gold ahead of compatriot Natrece East, who took silver with 23.39 seconds, and Haiti’s Breanne Barnett, who rounded out the podium with 23.49 seconds.

    Douglas’ historic run set the tone for a dominant final day for Team Jamaica, which extended its lead atop the overall medal table heading into the final events. As of press time, Jamaica had accumulated an unrivaled 65 total medals, including 24 gold, 25 silver, and 16 bronze, putting the nation far ahead of all other competing delegations at the regional tournament.

    Other Jamaican athletes also delivered standout performances on the final day of competition, bouncing back from earlier setbacks to claim top honors. Sanjay Seymore, who was disqualified from the Boys’ Under-20 100m earlier in the games, rebounded to win the 200m final with a personal best time of 20.63 seconds, finishing ahead of Bermuda’s 100m gold medalist Miles Outerbridge (20.67) and The Bahamas’ Eagan Neely (20.73).

    In the sprint hurdles events, Jamaica completed a clean sweep of all four intermediate division titles on Monday, adding to the gold medal the nation won on Sunday. Mark-Daniel Allen set a new championships record in the event, clocking 13.25 seconds with a 1.6m/s wind to break the 13.49 record set by fellow Jamaican Kahiem Cardy in 2023. Allen also improved his personal best by 0.32 seconds, cutting down his previous top time of 13.57 set at Jamaica’s Carifta trials one month prior. Another Jamaican, Brandon Bennett, also finished under the old championships record with 13.47 seconds to take silver, while Shawne Ferguson of The Bahamas earned bronze with a 14.30 clocking.

    Robert Miller, who lost his Under-20 Boys’ 400m hurdles title on Sunday, reboured to win the 110m hurdles with a wind-aided time of 13.43 (2.5m/s), beating The Bahamas’ Jahcario Wilson (13.53) with Jamaica’s Romario Jibbison taking third in 13.73. Tiana Marshall successfully defended her Under-20 Girls’ 100m hurdles title, outpacing the entire field to finish in 13.43 seconds even with a challenging -3.2m/s headwind. Jenna-Marie Thomas of Trinidad and Tobago took silver, while Sofia Swindell of the US Virgin Islands claimed bronze. In the Under-17 Girls’ sprint hurdles, Tashana Godfrey claimed gold for Jamaica with a 13.27 second run, followed by teammate Macaela Gordon in second, with Checia Joseph of Trinidad and Tobago in third.

    In middle-distance events, upsets marked the day’s competition. Nahjan Wyatte of St Maarten out-kicked Jamaica’s Markland Williams in the final stretch to win the Under-17 Boys’ 800m in 1:53.26, with Williams finishing second in 1:53.60. Kymarni Newton of St Kitts/Nevis took third, just ahead of a second Jamaican runner, Luke Plummer. In the Under-20 Men’s 800m, Kiile Alexander of Trinidad and Tobago took gold in 1:50.38, with Grenada’s Nicholas Frederick taking silver and Jamaica’s Saturday 1500m champion Joel Morgan settling for bronze. Barbados dominated the Under-20 Women’s 800m, with Ashlyn Simmons taking gold and Danya Skeete silver, while Jamaica’s Dallia Fairweather earned bronze. Pre-race medal favorite Kevongaye Fowler did not finish the event.

    In the field events, United States-based Jamaican thrower Able Mills added a second gold medal to her Carifta haul, winning the Under-20 Women’s discus throw with a new personal best of 53.85m, beating her 2024 best of 51.68m. Mills already won gold in the shot put event on Sunday. Marla-Kay Lampart, who took third in the event in 2024, earned silver with a 48.96m throw, also adding a second medal to her tournament haul, while Tejha Thompson of The Bahamas took third. In the Under-20 Men’s shot put, discus gold medalist Joseph Salmon added a silver medal with a personal best throw of 18.17m, improving his previous top mark of 17.62m. Jayden Walcott claimed gold with an 18.41m throw, and Jelany Chinyelu of Trinidad and Tobago took bronze.

  • MoBay Perimeter Road on track for Sept deadline, says Morgan

    MoBay Perimeter Road on track for Sept deadline, says Morgan

    Following two successive hurricane disruptions that pushed back the original completion timeline, Jamaica’s Minister with responsibility for works Robert Morgan has reaffirmed that the transformative Montego Bay Perimeter Road infrastructure initiative remains on schedule to meet its revised September 2026 delivery date, built with cutting-edge climate-resilient engineering to withstand extreme weather. In an exclusive interview with Jamaica Observer on Monday, Morgan laid out the phased completion timeline and updated the public on the project’s current status, funding security and storm preparedness measures. “I’m very confident…We are on time for September. We are working to have West Green Avenue completed by September and then next year Barnett Street, and we’ll have the Long Hill Bypass as well, which is an addition to the Montego Bay Perimeter Road project,” Morgan stated. Currently managed by Jamaica’s National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) and executed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the large-scale infrastructure project carries an estimated total price tag of US$354 million. Its full scope includes a 15-kilometer Montego Bay Bypass, an 11-kilometer Long Hill Bypass, comprehensive structural upgrades to two existing urban corridors (Barnett Street and West Green Avenue), and the construction of a new 180-meter bridge spanning the Montego River. As recently as an October 2025 site tour of the project’s Bogue segment, Morgan had announced that work was progressing ahead of schedule and on track to wrap up as early as May 2026. That original updated timeline was derailed by two consecutive extreme weather events: Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in June 2024, and the more recent Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025. Category 5 Hurricane Beryl alone inflicted an estimated US$79 million in damage to uncompleted sections of the project, but Morgan noted that comprehensive insurance coverage has mitigated the majority of the financial impact of the storm damage. “As a matter of fact, we started paving last year and would have been further ahead if it wasn’t for the rains and the hurricane, because we would have started paving last year and started putting up safety barriers and so on,” he explained. When questioned whether ongoing storm risk during the upcoming hurricane season could further derail the revised September 2026 deadline, Morgan highlighted that the project’s design marks a fundamental shift in how major transportation infrastructure is engineered across Jamaica, developed specifically to address growing climate change-driven extreme weather risks. “I think the design and engineering that we used for the perimeter road, and also what we’re using for the Long Hill Bypass, are so much different from what we traditionally use. They have been built for resilience. So a lot of the work that is going on now is pretty much final-leg infrastructure. We have already done the base course and the running course is what is being put on now, finishing some drainage and some hillside protection and so on,” Morgan explained. He added that the robust, climate-adapted design means the project is well-protected against routine rainfall and moderate storm events, even as the region enters peak hurricane season. “So we do not expect general rains to have any significant impact on the road. I mean, if we have a Category 5 again, that might be a different conversation, but we’re hoping and praying that we don’t have one of those events before it’s completed,” the minister said. On the topic of project financing, Morgan confirmed that the Jamaican government maintains a stable fiscal position to see the initiative through to completion. “We have received the allocation for the completion of it in the current budget. There may be some changes that may be made one way or the other as the year goes by, but we are pretty confident in the funding arrangements through the Ministry of Finance,” he said. Under the revised phased completion schedule, the Montego Bay Bypass and West Green Avenue segments are now targeted for completion by September 2026. Upgrades to Barnett Street are projected to be finished by April 2027, with the added Long Hill Bypass segment wrapping up construction the following month, in May 2027. As of the latest update, crews are currently carrying out concrete casting work on the new Barnett Street Bridge, with paving and final infrastructure works ongoing across multiple segments of the project.

  • Yaksta set to ‘Roar’ into new era

    Yaksta set to ‘Roar’ into new era

    For years, Jamaican recording artist Yaksta has built his reputation on music rooted in cultural awareness and thoughtful reflection on national identity. Now, with the launch of his latest single *Roar*, the deejay is stepping into a far more vulnerable, unapologetically personal creative space — one defined by raw, unfiltered honesty that he says many in the music industry avoid at all costs.

    Yaksta says he is ready to speak out on topics fellow artists often sidestep, even if that means sacrificing the mainstream fame and widespread popularity that most performers chase throughout their careers. “We need to understand what we are as a nation,” he explained in a recent conversation about his new work. “I think the imperfect characteristics of Jamaicans are what made us perfect. We were the rebels of the pack, of all the African diaspora, we were the voice box of the universe — and suddenly now we’re censored because of monetary gains.”

    He points to iconic Jamaican artists such as Bob Marley as proof that greatness does not come from conforming to industry expectations. “All those great men never made it because they conformed,” he noted. “They may have worked within a system, but they had a mind of their own. Everybody who conforms falls in line, and I am not one of them.”

    Rebellion has always been woven into Yaksta’s musical DNA, he says, though the rigid structures of the commercial music industry have at times softened that outspoken spirit. “We have always been rebellious, it’s just that past management we worked with more or less censored us in certain ways,” he shared. He also called out shifting social norms around gender identity that he says have created widespread confusion, clarifying he does not aim to bash anyone but believes the current trend is a pressing issue for society.

    For Yaksta, *Roar* is far more than just a new single — it is a rallying cry to reclaim the uncompromising, truth-centered roots of Jamaican reggae music. “*Roar* is about the regrouping of consciousness in our music, in our nation,” he said. “I think we’re drifting too far from our core values. When it comes to speaking out and provoking thought about the issues actually affecting the society we live in now, people shy away from that. But reggae was never a pretty, polished genre — it was always about truth and empowerment.”

    The artist argues that much of the music dominating current radio and streaming playboxes has strayed far from these foundational principles, and he is aiming to hit reset on the genre ahead of the release of more new music. He specifically pushes back against the misogynistic lyrics that are common in many contemporary tracks, noting he refuses to participate in the degradation of Black women, who he identifies as queens. “We have given them 20 years of foolishness, we must be able to give them one year of consciousness,” he stated.

    *Roar* is a preview of Yaksta’s upcoming full-length album, *The Microphone Saved Me*, a project he describes as a bold, unapologetic declaration that refuses to bend to the pressures of an industry he believes has lost both its authenticity and moral compass. He argues that modern music’s focus on exploitative and harmful content has negatively influenced young people, noting that artists are often the primary role models for youth when parental figures are absent. “We have to know that we have a responsibility,” he emphasized. “Fans spend their time, their money, their essence to make you important. So we have to reverse that harmful trend.”

    Yaksta says he is fully prepared to face criticism and backlash for his outspoken stances, clarifying that this creative shift is not about adopting a new persona — it is about embracing a deeper understanding of his purpose as an artist. “The moment I started doing me, saying what I wanted to say, it started resonating more with audiences,” he explained. “I may not be booked for local shows every day, and it is not because they won’t call me — it is that certain shows are not aligned with my message and the brand I am building.”

    The deejay also opened up about the personal costs of sudden fame, noting that his early experience in the industry taught him how quickly envy can erode even close relationships. “I had a normal life before all the popularity, but popularity taught me how envious love can become in the blink of an eye,” he shared. “If you’re not grounded, it is easy for artists to lose their way, fall off, or break when all this success comes to you overnight. I’m the kind of person that when the rush of fame comes, I step back and assess my choices carefully. I found out that the real enemies were often the ones that stood with me. I’ve seen family change, friends get envious — but where love is, hate follows. That’s where the microphone saved me in real life.”

    The album is scheduled for a May release, and Yaksta plans to take an unconventional, fan-focused approach to rolling out the project, skipping large traditional stage shows in favor of intimate direct engagement. “What I’m going to do for this album is bring it directly to the people,” he said. “I’m going to host pop-up shops, showcase my merch, and give fans free live performances. You may not see me on a big festival stage, but come to my show.”

  • Congrats, JUNELLE & NOAH

    Congrats, JUNELLE & NOAH

    On Monday, April 6, fashion and lifestyle publication Vogue gave global audiences an exclusive first peek inside the intimate, celebratory wedding of Jamaican track and field athlete Junelle Bromfield and American Olympic sprint gold medalist Noah Lyles, held two days prior in scenic Trenton, Georgia.

    The pair tied the knot on Saturday, April 4 at The Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge, a popular wedding venue nestled in the Georgia countryside, choosing a thoughtful ‘All Shades of Melanin’ theme to center their shared Black heritage throughout the celebration.

    Bromfield made a breathtaking entrance down the aisle in a voluminous ballgown designed by Pantora Bridal, a Black-owned bridal brand based in Jamaica. The same label also crafted the elegant bronze gowns worn by the couple’s bridal party. Matching the day’s warm, inclusive theme, Lyles opted for a rich chocolate tailored suit from designer brand Musika for the ceremony.

    The exclusive feature was reported by Vogue contributing wedding editor Shelby Wax, with professional photography captured by Stanley Babb of Stanlo Photography, whose images give fans a detailed look at the couple’s special day.

  • Congratulations to the newlyweds!

    Congratulations to the newlyweds!

    New behind-the-scenes glimpses from a star-studded wedding reception have emerged, with Vogue holding exclusive rights to the full details of the high-profile celebration. Headlined by sprinter and groom Noah Lyles, the event brought together a roster of big-name guests from the global sports community, including retired Jamaican Olympian sprinter Asafa Powell, who was captured cutting a rug on the dance floor alongside the newlywed groom.
    Beyond the social dancing that kept the crowd energized throughout the evening, the reception included two standout planned segments: a personal, heartfelt address from the groom to his guests and new spouse, and a one-of-a-kind special performance from Grammy Award-winning gospel recording artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard.
    Vogue’s exclusive photo journal from the big day also captures a lively moment from the wedding’s bridal party, who took to the dance floor to perform a choreographed routine to the popular Afrobeat track “Shake It To The Max”, released by artists Moliy and Silent Addy, featuring dancehall stars Skillibeng and Shenseea. All official photography from the event was shot by creative studio Stanlo Photography, and full unshared details from the wedding day are available exclusively to readers on vogue.com.

  • KEEPING IT JAMAICAN

    KEEPING IT JAMAICAN

    For more than two decades starting at the turn of the 21st century, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has relied on foreign leadership to guide the country’s iconic men’s national team, the Reggae Boyz, appointing seven overseas head coaches in that stretch. But a crushing late failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has pushed the federation to turn a new page, with JFF President Michael Ricketts confirming the organisation will now prioritise homegrown coaching candidates, citing widespread mismanagement under the most recent foreign appointee, former England manager Steve McClaren.

    Jamaica’s 22-year wait to return to the World Cup — a drought that dates back to their historic 1998 appearance — stretched on for at least another four years last week, when a narrow 0-1 defeat to African side DR Congo in the intercontinental play-off final held at Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron dashed the Reggae Boyz’ hopes of a spot in this summer’s tournament. This marked the second missed qualification opportunity in just months: the side already fell short of automatic booking during the final round of Concacaf qualifying in 2025.

    McClaren’s tenure with the national team ended almost six months before the decisive play-off match, after a 0-0 draw with World Cup-bound Curacao at Kingston’s National Stadium in November 2025. The English manager stepped down after just 16 months in the role, having failed to secure a win in 12 of his 23 matches in charge. Following his exit, veteran Jamaican coach Rudolph Speid stepped into the role on an interim basis, with another local specialist, Miguel Coley, joining him as assistant coach.

    From the earliest months of McClaren’s tenure, his leadership was dogged by controversy, as the Jamaica Observer first reported in November 2025. Sources within the federation cited persistent tension between the manager and JFF leadership, as well as widespread criticism of how he handled locally based Jamaican players. Most notably, McClaren chose to maintain his primary residence in England throughout his tenure, a decision that proved deeply unpopular with both federation officials and fans.

    McClaren became the second consecutive foreign coach to exit the Reggae Boyz post early. Before him, Icelandic manager Heimir Hallgrímsson stepped down in June 2024, and less than two weeks later accepted the top job with the Republic of Ireland’s men’s national side.

    To put the federation’s decades-long preference for foreign coaches in context, just four Jamaican-born coaches have led the Reggae Boyz over the past 26 years. Prior to the recent string of foreign appointments, Theodore Whitmore, a former Reggae Boyz star, led the national side from 2016 to 2021. After Whitmore’s exit, his former assistant and national teammate Paul Hall took over on an interim basis before the first of the back-to-back foreign appointments. Carl Brown and Wendel Downswell are the other two homegrown managers to hold the top job in recent decades.

    Speid and Coley’s interim contracts expired immediately after the conclusion of the World Cup intercontinental play-off, leaving the top two technical positions on the national team staff vacant as the JFF begins its search for a permanent appointment. Ricketts, who now says he regrets entrusting the team’s World Cup campaign to a foreign manager, made clear that local candidates are the clear front-runners for the roles this time around.

    “I tried again with overseas coaches and the rest is history. I don’t think the programme was managed very well,” Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer in an interview. “Now these local coaches are here, they see our local players, they watch games, they keep abreast of what is happening in domestic club football. They keep in contact with me, they keep in contact with the JFF directors, so we are always updated on the technical aspect of the team by these local coaches. They are rooted here, so you are bound to have consistent working relationships that you don’t get with overseas coaches who come and go at their own discretion, which sometimes is not ideal for our situation.”

    The JFF board of directors is set to formalise its appointment before the end of April, with the Reggae Boyz scheduled to return to competitive action next month at the Unity Cup in England. Upcoming key fixtures for the side also include Concacaf Nations League matches later this year, followed by the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup, making a swift appointment a priority for the federation.

    While the final decision rests with the full board, not Ricketts alone, the JFF president said he strongly favours retaining the current interim leadership team for the next two-year cycle. “I would certainly want to have Speid and Coley to continue with our programmes,” he said. “But if Speid and Coley are interested, then certainly they will be my choice to be head coach and assistant coach, at least for the next two years.”

    For their part, Speid is expected to retain his current role as manager of defending Jamaica Premier League champions Cavalcer if he accepts the national position, while Coley is currently contracted to Iraqi top-flight side Zakho SC and will need to resolve his club commitments before taking the national job full-time.

  • RECRUITMENT RUSH

    RECRUITMENT RUSH

    MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Following the recent termination of the long-standing Cuban medical support programme, Jamaica’s Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) has launched an urgent recruitment drive to replace departing Cuban medical specialists across the south-central region of the country.

    In an exclusive interview with Jamaica Observer, SRHA Director Michael Bent outlined the scale of the staffing gap created by the programme’s end. Across SRHA’s coverage area, approximately 30 Cuban medical professionals have exited the system: 10 based at facilities in Mandeville, another 10 in Clarendon, and the remaining 10 working at smaller parish-level health sites. While the authority has already hired local Jamaican doctors and nurses to cover non-specialist roles, Bent confirmed that critical gaps remain in high-skill specialty departments that have yet to be filled.

    The most pressing needs are concentrated at Mandeville Regional Hospital, where the radiology and nephrology departments are currently operating without their Cuban specialist leads. Bent expressed confidence that these positions can be filled quickly, noting that formal recruitment processes are scheduled to launch before the end of the current month. In the interim, the SRHA has implemented contingency measures to prevent disruption to patient care, drawing on existing local medical staff who previously worked alongside the Cuban team to cover core services.

    “To date, we haven’t seen any major disruption to care delivery because of the exit of the Cuban professionals,” Bent explained. “Our local medical teams already worked side-by-side with their Cuban counterparts for years, so while we are facing a clear manpower challenge, we still have the core skills in place to keep services running. We are working aggressively to close that gap as quickly as possible.”

    For the radiology department, the authority has arranged for part-time coverage from specialist staff based at Black River health facilities while recruitment is ongoing, a temporary solution Bent says is keeping services on track.

    Alwyn Miller, chief executive officer of Mandeville Regional Hospital, echoed Bent’s assessment, noting that even the loss of a single high-skill specialist creates a major impact for the facility. Miller explained that Cuban medics brought rare, much-needed specialist expertise that is in short supply locally. Beyond radiology and nephrology, Miller confirmed that the hospital’s accident and emergency department lost a specialist nurse, the high-dependency unit lost multiple clinical staff, and the pathology department lost at least one senior specialist.

    “Even the loss of one highly trained specialist hits hard when we are already operating with tight staffing margins for these roles, because the skills they brought were irreplaceable in the short term,” Miller said. Still, he emphasized that the hospital’s local team has remained resilient in the face of the challenge. “Our team is incredibly dedicated and used to problem-solving through the obstacles we face every day. We’re continuing to deliver care day by day as we work to secure long-term replacements for these critical roles.”

  • Hurricane-ravaged Black River Hospital to have operating theatre back shortly

    Hurricane-ravaged Black River Hospital to have operating theatre back shortly

    In the coastal town of Black River, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa are progressing steadily, with a senior regional health authority leader projecting that major rehabilitation work at the storm-ravaged Black River Hospital will be nearly complete within two months.

    Michael Bent, Director of the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), shared the update in an interview with Jamaica Observer last Thursday, outlining a phased timeline for restoring critical services at the facility that once served the region with 150 inpatient beds. When Hurricane Melissa hit, the storm surge between 8 and 14 feet destroyed much of the hospital’s infrastructure, forcing a dramatic reduction in operational capacity. Today, the facility runs on just a third of its original capacity: 35 beds are set up in a temporary field hospital, and an additional 15 beds have been created by converting part of the Emergency Department into an impromptu ward.

    According to Bent, the restoration project includes targeted modifications to expand usable space beyond the pre-hurricane layout in some areas. Work crews are enclosing open-air corridors to create new, enclosed bed spaces, a change that will offset a small net reduction in total capacity once all repairs are finished. Bent confirmed that the hospital’s critical operating theatre, a core service for the local community, is expected to be fully operational again within 7 to 10 days, no later than mid-April. All inpatient wards are on track to be reopened and back in service by the end of May, bringing the hospital’s total capacity back up to roughly 135 beds.

    While short-term repairs are moving forward on schedule, the long-term future of the hospital remains tied to a broader climate-resilient redevelopment plan for the entire town of Black River. Bent confirmed that local and national authorities have held initial consultations about permanently relocating the hospital to higher inland ground, as proposed by the national government, but no final decision has been reached, and the full relocation process will take years to complete.

    Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness first laid out the government’s ambitious long-term vision for Black River during his contribution to the 2026/27 Budget Debate last month. He detailed how Hurricane Melissa’s powerful storm surge devastated the town’s historic waterfront, destroyed multiple civic buildings, and left critical public infrastructure severely damaged. In response, the government is not planning to simply rebuild the town as it stood before the storm. Instead, the Urban Development Corporation, in partnership with international development stakeholders, is developing a comprehensive climate-resilient redevelopment plan that separates coastal uses from essential public infrastructure that needs to be protected from future storm surges and long-term sea level rise.

    Under the plan, a new planned urban core will be built on elevated inland ground, well above projected flood and sea level rise thresholds. All of Black River’s core public services, including the hospital, courthouse, municipal offices, police station, tax office, local school, public market, and transport hub, will be consolidated into a single, walkable, flood-safe precinct — a planned civic center the 300-year-old town has never had before. The new development will also include a public town square and civic park, and all new buildings will be engineered to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds, built on elevated platforms, and equipped with modernized drainage, utility corridors, and emergency backup systems to ensure resilience against future climate events.

  • ‘Road to destruction’

    ‘Road to destruction’

    Against the backdrop of a heated debate over extended tariff waivers for imported eggs, the head of Jamaica’s leading egg farming advocacy group has issued a stark warning about the long-term economic dangers of excessive dependence on foreign agricultural imports, calling for intentional, values-aligned collaboration to strengthen local food production.

    Mark Campbell, president of the Jamaica Egg Farmers’ Association (JEFA), delivered his remarks at the 2025/2026 University of Technology (UTech) Western Campus Seminar hosted at Montego Bay’s Sea Gardens Beach Resort. The event, centered on the theme “Bridging Minds, Building Futures: Igniting Innovation through Collaboration”, featured Campbell’s analysis of how collective action can advance Jamaica’s agricultural sector, titled “Feeding the Nation Together: The Role of Collaboration in Advancing Jamaica’s Agricultural Sector”.

    In unflinching remarks, Campbell argued that the allure of cheap imported food masks devastating long-term consequences for developing economies like Jamaica. “I fundamentally and without apology submit that the road of importation is broad, beautiful and enticing but it is the road that leads to destruction for a nation,” he told attendees. He explained that excessive importation funnels wealth to foreign producers, trapping local farmers in low-income subsistence operations that perpetuate poverty. This dynamic, he added, is a core driver of the persistent economic gap between wealthy developed nations and lower-income developing countries.

    While Campbell acknowledged that collaboration is theoretically critical to agricultural progress, he pushed back against the hollow, profit-first collaboration that dominates Jamaica’s current market. He called out local intermediaries who prioritize cheap imports over supporting domestic producers, noting that many middlemen operate with a single-minded focus on profit, disregarding national food security and the livelihoods of local farming communities. “With whom shall producers collaborate? Shall we collaborate with those whose sole interest is hinged unto that ‘profit motive’ which says, ‘As long as I can make a profit by importing, I do not care about the local producer or concepts such as food security?’ And that, I tell you, is the mentality of many of the margin gatherers in Jamaica,” he said.

    Campbell went on to outline a clear roadmap for purpose-driven collaboration that centers national food security. He recommended that local farmers build trust-based partnerships with domestic financial institutions to expand access to capital; work closely with academic research centers and regional farmer collectives to share data and boost output; integrate digital and agricultural technology to cut operational costs, improve communication, and boost efficiency; engage with public and private sector stakeholders to unlock new market opportunities; upgrade core infrastructure for quality control, logistics, packaging and cold storage; partner with educational institutions to train farmers in high-value skills like negotiation and business management; and align with climate science organizations to advance climate-resilient, sustainable farming practices.

    Campbell’s broader critique of over-reliance on imports grows out of recent tensions in Jamaica’s domestic egg market. JEFA has publicly opposed the Jamaican government’s plan to extend a duty waiver for imported eggs through the end of May 2026, arguing the policy would undercut local producers still working to rebuild after back-to-back major hurricanes. The tariff exemption was originally set to expire on February 28, 2026, but the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has moved to extend it, citing ongoing supply disruptions following consecutive major storms.

    When Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, made landfall on October 28, 2025, Jamaica’s egg industry was still recovering from Hurricane Beryl, which hit in 2024. The ministry noted that after Beryl, JEFA projected production would return to pre-storm levels within six months, but that recovery never materialized, leaving persistent supply gaps. Though Campbell did not address the waiver proposal directly during his seminar address to final-year UTech business students, he clarified his position to Jamaica Observer in a post-presentation interview, confirming that local egg production has rebounded substantially in the months after Melissa hit.

  • National Soca Fraternity Calls Meeting for Artists and Stakeholders on April 8

    National Soca Fraternity Calls Meeting for Artists and Stakeholders on April 8

    The National Soca Fraternity of Antigua and Barbuda (NSF) has issued a broad call to all soca music creators and industry stakeholders to participate in its upcoming general meeting, which will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, hosted at Dele’s Restaurant and Bar. Originally planned for Tuesday, April 7, the gathering was pushed back one day due to unforeseen logistical challenges outside of the organizing body’s control.

    As the governing body for the Caribbean nation’s soca community, the NSF has stressed that attendance at this meeting carries significant weight for the long-term growth and strategic direction of the local soca sector. Leaders of the NSF Executive Board have underscored that broad participation from across the industry is not just welcomed, but essential, as the organization works to deepen engagement with its member base, reinforce community bonds, and build a stronger, more cohesive national soca fraternity that can better support artists and industry professionals across the country.