One-Minute Reads ... News from across Jamaica

Students benefit from chicken-rearing project

One hundred students from six schools in St Elizabeth North West benefited from a chicken-rearing pilot project, which was initiated during the last academic year.

Providing details in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Member of Parliament J.C. Hutchinson said that the students, who were recommended by teachers, received baby chicks and feed.

"They were required to rear the chickens for themselves. They were required to feed the birds, give them water and clean the coops," he informed as he made his contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate.

Hutchinson said that among the objectives of the project were to promote agriculture as a viable enterprise and enable the students to earn and manage their own finances. He said the project will be expanded to all schools across the constituency and the schools that participated in the pilot will get an additional amount for their students.

Ministry wants collective effort to fight praedial larceny

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has called for a collective effort to combat praedial larceny, which has plagued the nation for years.

State Minister Franklin Witter made the appeal during a Public Health Inspectors Sensitisation Session at Hibiscus Lodge in Ocho Rios, St Ann, on Tuesday.

"Once we can put together the efforts of all these agencies, such as the police, Ministry of Health [and Wellness], the Ministry of Agriculture and all those entities, as well as the people of Jamaica, then we can put a dent in this praedial larceny," Witter said.

He noted that thieves often pilfering items from fields that are unfit for consumption, thereby jeopardising public health. Additionally, there are annual losses of more than $9 billion due to theft, which disrupts the livelihoods of the country's hard-working farmers and compels Jamaica to rely on imports.

NCB warns of ABM scam

National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) is alerting its customers to be vigilant against a new type of 'phishing' scam targeting ABM users.

Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information, often through deceptive emails, messages or QR codes, posing as a trustworthy entity. Fraudsters have been mounting posters inside NCB ABMs with a QR code, claiming that customers can win over $1 million in cash and prizes by clicking on the link. Unwitting customers who scan these codes are misled into providing their private banking information, such as their PIN and Internet banking login details, which scammers then exploit to access accounts and misappropriate funds.

Dane Nicholson, head of fraud prevention at NCB, said, "It's essential for everyone to remember that NCB will never send unsolicited links or ask customers to share their private banking details outside of our secure banking platforms. Customers are urged to be cautious and avoid clicking on links or scanning QR codes that lead to websites requesting banking information. NCB also encourages customers to report any suspicious activity or questionable materials found inside or near ABMs."

Vessel delays at Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited

The Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) is advising the public that it is experiencing delays due to challenges with vessels operated by certain shipping lines.

"The primary challenge is due to an increase in transshipment volumes from particular shipping lines whose feedering network has not been able to keep pace with the recent influx of containers. This situation has led to high congestion at our terminal, despite our efforts to keep the domestic market supply chain flowing efficiently," the KFTL said in a statement. The entity noted that it does not have the authority to determine the routing, frequency, or priorities of vessels.

"Notably, the cargo destined for Jamaica is loaded alongside transshipment cargo on these vessels, making it unfeasible to segregate our domestic cargo from the transshipment cargo," the release said.

The KFTL said it has met with the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association to communicate on the issues, and "we understand the significant inconvenience these delays pose to our country's business sector, especially as we approach the Christmas season". The entity said it anticipates that the situation will return to normalcy in mid-November.

"As the lines clear their transshipment cargo, creating much-needed space, vessels are expected to resume normal operations."