Walderston, Manchester:

With the influx of visitors expected to be significant as a result of the staging of the Cricket World Cup next year, pig farmers across the island are being urged to increase production to meet the increased demand.

At the annual general meeting of the Pig Farmers Association of Jamaica (PFAJ) held at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester, last Thursday, Calvon Watson, the second vice-president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, pointed out that although pork production had reached seven million kilograms annually, there was a need to produce more. He urged farmers to begin putting in place the necessary measures to increase production. The PFAJ, which was launched in 2002 with 15 members, now has a membership of over 500.

Agriculture and Lands Minister, Roger Clarke, commended the work of the association in improving the pig industry, pointing out that the PFAJ had lifted the industry out of the doldrums.

"The association lobbied the Government and because of this collaboration pork gluts and shortages are behind us," the Minister said.

Dr. Dunstan Campbell, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) country representative, encouraged the PFAJ to seize the opportunities presented by the Caribbean Single Market.