Agriculture

Drivers to get preview of EWA for Ag Show Day
(CNS): A piece of the East-West Arterial road between Hirst Road and Agricola Drive will open on Ash Wednesday for one day only to accommodate the expected heavy traffic heading to the annual Agricultural Show in Lower Valley. This new stretch of bypass providing an alternative route to Shamrock Road is not fully complete and […]

Government helps Brac farmers in the wake of Rafael
(CNS): The Department of Agriculture has helped over fifteen farmers on Cayman Brac following the destruction of crops and the loss of trees during Tropical Storm Rafael. According to a DoA release, the support was primarily technical, supplied by the DoA team dispatched to the Brac, which included the crop extension officer, lead arborist, and […]

Ministers in Jamaica for Ag Show deliver relief supplies
(CNS): The premier, two Cabinet ministers and a parliamentary secretary are currently in Jamaica to attend the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, which takes place today, Tuesday. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, who will speak at the event, is accompanied by Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks, Culture Minister Dwayne Seymour, McKeeva Bush, who is PS to Minister Ebanks, […]

DoA giving eggs to local families over summer months
(CNS): The Department of Agriculture is partnering with local charity Resilience Cayman to support Caymanian families with children by providing fresh local eggs. According to a release from the Ministry of Agriculture about the new initiative, the EggsUp programme launched on 21 July for a three-month pilot period to coincide with the summer break.

Agriculture show to promote local food security
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Agricultural Society will be hosting the 55th Agriculture Show on Ash Wednesday with the theme “Food Security – Everybody’s Business” to highlight the critical importance of ensuring a reliable and accessible food supply in the face of global challenges. With growing concerns about global food security, particularly during emergencies and natural […]

Ministry hands out five hydroponic units
(CNS): The Ministry of Agriculture has handed out five Flex Farms, hydroponic units that can produce a diverse range of foods efficiently and affordably all year round. According to an MoA press release, the new initiative is part of the Cayman Islands Food and Nutrition Security Policy. Five units have already been given to the […]

Ag department gets into the business of beef
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government is moving into the business of beef after importing 22 Red Poll cattle from Jamaica, which, after completing quarantine, will form the base herd for a breeding programme that will be managed by the Department of Agriculture. The goal is to increase local livestock numbers and improve local beef production.

Regulation of egg production moves ahead
(CNS): The National Egg Strategy (NEST), which has been in development for two years and is designed to create a certified, modern, safe and productive domestic egg sector in the Cayman Islands, is moving ahead, according to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture. The aim is to upgrade production facilities and roll out […]

Ag shows return in wake of COVID and Grace
(CNS): The annual Agricultural Shows on all three islands are returning this year after a two-year hiatus as a result of COVID restrictions and the impact of Tropical Storm Grace on produce. Cayman Islands Agricultural Society (CIAS) President George Smith is promising an even bigger and better event on Grand Cayman, as well as a […]

Samples negative for bird flu after chickens killed
(CNS): The official results from samples sent to a laboratory in the United States from a flock of local chickens were negative for avian influenza (bird flu). After five samples were suspected to have been positive following local tests, the entire flock was euthanised. But the Department of Agriculture has now said that bird flu […]

Chickens euthanised after bird flu suspected in local flock
(CNS): Five possible cases of Avian influenza (bird flu) have been detected in Grand Cayman during the Department of Agriculture’s routine surveillance for the virus in the local poultry population. The DoA explained that its veterinary staff conducts preliminary rapid testing of all domestic poultry that have died of possible respiratory illnesses.