Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government is ramping up efforts to revitalize Jamaica’s bauxite and alumina industry, a sector he described as still vital to the national economy despite decades of decline.

Ten of 30 persons resettled by Discovery Bauxite Partners in St. Ann have been given certificates of title for their holdings.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has noted that the island’s mineral sector continues to contribute significantly to the island’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Frank Witter, says the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) plays a pivotal role in research and governance related to bauxite residue management.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) and Papine High School for the utilisation of a greenhouse to advance the school’s agriculture programme.

Fourteen tertiary-level students have benefited from scholarships totaling $7 million under the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) Hoilett/Lambert Scholarship.

Jamaica more than doubled its export earnings from mining and quarrying for the first 10 months of 2023, compared with the similar period in 2022. The Statistical Institute of Jamaica says the industry sent US$473.3 million worth of goods overseas.

The Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) has made significant strides in channeling the revenues from bauxite mining back into the affected communities.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Franklin Witter, says following recent talks between Minister Floyd Green, a team from Alpart and himself, they are hopeful that bauxite production will resume at the plant in the near future.

The Government of Jamaica has continued to reinvest earnings from the bauxite industry into communities that are impacted by mining, according to Director of Bauxite Lands at Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), Kemoy Lindsay.