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The Jamaican government has initiated a groundbreaking climate resilience program designed to provide direct, practical support to the nation’s agricultural sector. Agriculture Minister Floyd Green announced the ADAPT Jamaica programme, which will deliver advanced training, climate-smart tools, and improved financing access to approximately 700,000 beneficiaries, with particular emphasis on women, youth, and smallholder farmers.

Funded by a substantial $50 million approval from the Green Climate Fund, this comprehensive initiative will concentrate on six central parishes that collectively account for roughly 70% of domestic food production. These regions have historically suffered from repeated exposure to drought, severe storms, land degradation, and limited access to irrigation and financial services.

Minister Green articulated a fundamental shift in approach during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, stating that resilience can no longer merely involve post-disaster recovery. Instead, the programme represents a strategic opportunity to address deeper structural weaknesses within Jamaica’s agricultural framework.

The programme’s four-pillar strategy includes: implementing climate-resilient agricultural practices and reducing food loss (currently estimated at 30-40% of production); strengthening climate information services; enhancing policy and institutional frameworks; and developing investment-ready financing solutions.

Geographic focus areas—Clarendon, Trelawny, Manchester, St Ann, St Catherine, and St Elizabeth—were selected based on historical losses associated with recent hurricanes, including Melissa (October 2023) and Beryl (July 2024).

The implementation will emphasize practical, visible, and scalable solutions at the farm level. This includes developing model farms and farm clusters that demonstrate climate-resilient technologies in real-time, such as solar-powered irrigation systems, storm-resistant reinforced greenhouses, and efficient water management systems including drip irrigation.

A critical component involves improving the flow of weather and crop information to farmers through a dedicated climate information system, enabling better decision-making amid increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

Financing accessibility receives particular attention, with portions of funds being routed through the Development Bank of Jamaica to ensure smallholder farmers can access capital for agricultural investments.

The programme incorporates targeted inclusion strategies to ensure equitable access for traditionally underserved groups, including women and youth. Additional components are specifically tailored to address damage from Hurricane Melissa, including cash transfers, cash-for-work initiatives, and development of major irrigation systems.

While implementation will unfold over several years—with baseline data collection in year one, active implementation in years two through four, and monitoring and evaluation thereafter—Jamaica Social Investment Fund Managing Director Omar Sweeney indicated farmers could begin seeing benefits during the initial year. The programme builds upon groundwork established through the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

The initiative represents one of Jamaica’s most significant climate-focused agricultural investments to date, involving collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, JSIF, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, and the Development Bank of Jamaica.

In a heartfelt display of community support and spiritual encouragement, renowned gospel artiste Kevin Downswell delivered a special morning devotion performance at Immaculate Conception High School in St. Andrew this Monday. The event carried particular significance as it followed closely on the heels of the school’s athletic achievements, having secured fourth place in the prestigious ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls’ Championships just two days prior.

The appearance by the celebrated musician served as both a celebration of the students’ accomplishments and an inspirational moment for the school community. Downswell’s performance provided emotional and spiritual reinforcement to young athletes who had recently demonstrated exceptional dedication and sportsmanship in national competition.

This gathering highlights the important role that cultural and spiritual figures play in the educational ecosystem, particularly in recognizing student achievements beyond academic parameters. The timing of the event underscores how schools integrate motivational experiences into their regular programming to foster holistic development among students.

The collaboration between educational institutions and artistic communities demonstrates a comprehensive approach to student development that values both competitive achievement and emotional well-being, creating meaningful moments of reflection and celebration within the school calendar.

Jamaica’s Court of Appeal has affirmed the 40-year prison sentence for Patrick Green, who committed a series of brutal sexual assaults against seven females—including an eight-year-old child—across multiple communities in St. James between 2012 and 2014. The appellate court described Green’s crimes as ‘horrific and undeniably egregious’ while officially designating him as a serial rapist.

The three-judge panel, comprising President Marva McDonald-Bishop and Justices Nicole Simmons and Vivene Harris, delivered their ruling on March 13 after hearing arguments this month. While upholding the substantial prison term originally imposed by Justice Martin Gayle in 2015, the appellate court identified a legal technicality requiring correction: the original sentencing had failed to establish specific parole eligibility requirements as mandated by Section 6(2) of Jamaica’s Sexual Offences Act.

Green had appealed his conviction, arguing through attorney George Clue that his trial was unfair and that the sentences were ‘harsh and manifestly excessive.’ He specifically claimed that Justice Gayle failed to ‘temper justice with mercy’ despite his guilty plea to 23 counts including rape, forcible abduction, grievous sexual assault, illegal firearm possession, and buggery.

The Appeal Court thoroughly rejected these arguments, noting that the severity of Green’s crimes justified the lengthy sentences. The judges emphasized that the nature of the offenses—which involved weapons, multiple victims including children, and extreme violence—outweighed any consideration for a sentencing discount due to his guilty plea.

Detailing the horrific incidents, the court documented how Green and accomplices terrorized victims in their homes and public spaces. In one September 2012 incident in Irwin, masked assailants armed with guns assaulted five females—aged 8 to 28—simultaneously, forcing them from their home and sexually violating them in nearby bushes while stealing their valuables.

Green was ultimately apprehended in January 2014 during a goat theft investigation. DNA evidence subsequently linked him to multiple sexual assault cases, including a January 2014 taxi hijacking where he robbed and raped a passenger, and a December 2013 attack on a woman returning from church in Montego Bay.

The appellate court established specific parole eligibility requirements: For the 35-year sentences on counts 3, 7, and 8, Green must serve 30 years before parole consideration; for counts 5 and 6 (also 35-year terms), 30 years minimum; for counts 9 and 10 (15-year sentences), 11 years minimum; and for counts 11 and 12 (15-year sentences), 13 years minimum. All other sentences remained undisturbed.