Deputy RADA Parish Manager Samuel Harris said more than 4,253 hectares of crop was reaped in Manchester for the period June 2008-June 2009, reflecting a 16.5 per cent increase over the previous reporting period.

"That is very good. That places (Manchester) third on the all-island list of high producers," Harris said, as he addressed a Jamaica Agricul-tural Society (JAS) general meeting held recently at St Mark's Anglican Church Hall in Mandeville.

Continuous progress

He said apiary farming was growing in the parish and "a number of good farmers" have entered the industry. In addition, he said, livestock production continues to progress, even with the challenges of accessing inputs, especially for pig and poultry farming.

As it relates to the registration process, which is aimed at providing legitimate farmers with technical support and assistance to improve productivity, Harris said that 14,205 farmers in the parish have registered to date and identification cards were being distributed.

"We are at 14,205 registered farmers currently, an increase of over 4,000. We are now distributing identification cards and in August this year, we will be making sure that the people that register are legitimate farmers," he informed.