标签： Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaican agricultural authorities are proactively mobilizing banana and plantain growers across the island to enroll in the specialized Catastrophe Fund administered by the Banana Board. This urgent call to action comes as the nation prepares for the approaching 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 to November 30 annually.

The Catastrophe Fund represents a critical disaster-recovery insurance mechanism specifically designed to provide financial protection and stabilization support to Jamaica’s vital banana and plantain agricultural sector following devastating hurricanes and other catastrophic natural events. The program serves both export-oriented producers and those supplying domestic markets, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the agricultural supply chain.

According to Janet Conie, General Manager of the Banana Board, registration for the insurance program operates on a voluntary basis with annual enrollment periods commencing each January. While the fund maintains operational availability throughout the entire year, farmers must complete registration procedures before the official start of hurricane season to qualify for potential claims disbursements.

Ms. Conie emphasized the program’s extensive coverage parameters in discussions with JIS News, noting that protection extends beyond hurricane damage to include “floods and sudden disasters of any kind [including] windstorms.” She characterized the initiative as “one of the preparatory strategies that we have in place that kicks in whenever there is a disaster.”

The Catastrophe Fund is currently actively supporting recovery efforts for farmers affected by Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact on banana and plantain cultivation, demonstrating the program’s practical implementation and value to agricultural communities.

Interested farmers may initiate registration by contacting the Banana Board directly at (876) 922‑5490 for enrollment information and procedural details.

A relationship expert has responded to a poignant reader letter highlighting the emotional dangers of premarital intimacy testing, drawing from both personal testimony and psychological insight. The discussion emerged after a female reader recounted her traumatic experience with a former fiancé who insisted on testing sexual compatibility before marriage.

The woman described how she reluctantly acquiesced to her ex-fiancé’s demands, subsequently became pregnant, and was abandoned when he declared them ‘incompatible.’ The situation escalated into personal devastation and community scandal, particularly when he married another woman. Though she eventually found love and marriage herself, the memory resurfaced painfully upon reading a similar contemporary query.

The counselor acknowledged that men proposing such ‘tests’ often demonstrate selfishness and poor judgment while failing to comprehend the profound emotional consequences. However, he cautioned against blanket characterizations of all men as ‘users,’ noting the complex social pressures men face regarding sexual expectations. Peer pressure from friends and family—often expressed through mocking commentary—can create significant dilemma for men choosing abstinence.

Additionally, women may inadvertently contribute to this dynamic by questioning a man’s devotion or health if he doesn’t initiate sexual activity. The counselor cited Dr. Myles Munroe’s observation that sexual drive represents humanity’s most powerful biological force, frequently compelling unwise decisions as evidenced by high-profile cases like Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.

Globally, statistics indicate an average of nine sexual partners per individual according to World Population Review data, highlighting widespread promiscuity challenges. The emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual consequences can be devastating without proper desire management.

The expert referenced biblical wisdom from Romans 7:15, where Apostle Paul describes the human struggle between intention and action, ultimately finding strength through spiritual conviction. The counselor advised the reader to pursue forgiveness, recognize her gained wisdom, and appreciate her current life including her child. He offered continued support through convenient online sessions, praying for her emotional healing and liberation from past trauma.

Readers seeking guidance may contact Reverend Christopher Brodber via The Counsellor’s Couch column at the Jamaica Observer.

For Gurvan Whitely, the parish of St Elizabeth represents more than just a geographical location—it embodies his Christian upbringing and a multi-generational family legacy. This profound connection compelled him to action when Hurricane Melissa, a catastrophic Category 5 storm, devastated his homeland in late October.

Whitely, co-founder of the DLW Foundation established in 2013, personally led relief missions to the most affected areas in early November. The organization, created in Queens, New York, to honor the memory of his mother Bishop Doris Louise Whitely, maintains operational offices in both New York and St Elizabeth. The hurricane’s aftermath presented the foundation with its most formidable challenge to date.

The storm’s impact was catastrophic, leveling significant portions of St Elizabeth and the commercial hubs of Black River and Santa Cruz. Official reports confirmed 45 fatalities across Jamaica, with St Elizabeth and Westmoreland parishes suffering the most severe infrastructure damage, including the destruction of homes and medical facilities.

Operating with military precision, Whitely’s extended family network ensured efficient distribution of critical supplies. His sisters Bernardine and Schroeter Whitely (based in the United States and Cayman Islands), cousin Stead Whitely in Queens, and team member Petrine Bryan in Kingston coordinated efforts to deliver aid to residents in Bellevue and Lacovia. The relief packages contained non-perishable survival food sufficient to sustain a family of four for one week, alongside essential toiletries.

Despite his own family suffering property damage—including the homes of his mother and brother, plus the Mount Zion Church Of Christ The Redeemed where his mother ministered—Whitely maintained perspective. ‘Our damage was minor compared to a hardworking man who lost his home and has his children and wife looking at him, asking what’s next,’ he told Observer Online. ‘It’s heartbreaking and I couldn’t look away.’

Whitely attributes his philanthropic drive to the spiritual foundation provided by his mother and church elders. ‘For it not being the prayers of my mother and the elders, I wouldn’t be where I am today,’ he reflected. ‘They believed in me and I was taught that you have to serve so that one day you will be served.’

Legal expert Margarette Macaulay has provided authoritative guidance on property ownership rights for married women in Jamaica, addressing a common inquiry about transferring property to children without spousal consent. The clarification comes in response to a reader’s question regarding whether a married woman can add her child’s name to a property deed where the husband holds no financial interest.

According to Macaulay, a married woman who is the sole legal proprietor of a property—having purchased it independently with personal funds—retains the legal right to execute a transfer to herself and her child as joint proprietors. This transfer can be structured either as joint tenancy or tenancy-in-common, provided the property does not qualify as the ‘family home’ under Jamaica’s Property Rights of Spouses Act.

The critical distinction lies in the property’s classification. The Act defines ‘family home’ as property wholly or partially owned by either spouse and habitually used as the principal family residence. Properties acquired before marriage, inherited assets, gifts intended for sole benefit, or properties obtained during short-term marriages typically fall outside this definition. If the property qualifies as the family home, the spouse’s agreement would be mandatory for any title changes.

Macaulay recommends joint tenancy arrangements for parent-to-child transfers, explaining that this structure automatically passes full ownership to the surviving joint tenant upon death without probate complications. Alternatively, tenancy-in-common allows separate ownership interests but requires precise percentage definitions and involves more complex estate administration processes.

The legal expert strongly advises consulting with an attorney-at-law before proceeding with any property transfer. Professional legal consultation ensures full disclosure of relevant facts and prevents potential future litigation from spouses claiming violations under the Property Rights of Spouses Act. This precautionary measure can save significant time, financial resources, and emotional distress in the long term.

Margarette Macaulay, the responding expert, is a qualified attorney-at-law, Supreme Court mediator, notary public, and prominent advocate for women’s and children’s rights in Jamaica. Her response was published through the All Woman advisory column of the Jamaica Observer newspaper.

In a disturbing case of workplace violence, Jamaican authorities have formally charged 35-year-old truck driver Roddayne Allison with the murder of his employer, prominent St Andrew businessman Khalil Martin. The charges follow an intensive investigation by local law enforcement that uncovered a trail of digital evidence leading to the suspect.

Allison, residing at Spring Crescent in Portmore, faces multiple criminal counts including murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm, illegal ammunition possession, and using a firearm to commit a scheduled offense. The charges were formally presented by Detective Sergeant Melonie Williams while the suspect remained in custody.

The victim, Martin, was a senior information technology consultant at Island Products Manufacturing Company Limited and operated several businesses including haulage, farming, and wrecking operations. His body was discovered on November 5 along Marl Road in Portmore, St Catherine, with a single gunshot wound to the face.

According to police evidence, Martin had departed his Olivier Court residence on November 4 to meet Allison at Salt Pond Road in Dunbenholden. When the businessman failed to return home, family members initiated a missing person report that ultimately led to the grim discovery.

The breakthrough came on November 30 when Allison was apprehended during a covert police operation in the Clarendon division. Following his arrest, the suspect provided a caution statement to investigators in the presence of his legal counsel. After a comprehensive question and answer session with detectives, formal charges were filed against the accused truck driver.