Category: Company News

Approximately 100 farmers are expected to benefit directly and another 5,000 indirectly from training to be provided through five Farmer Field-Schools being established in the Upper Rio Minho Watershed area of Clarendon.

Work to design and implement the schools is slated to begin in June, following the $21.7 million contract signing yesterday at that will see the seven-month project being executed by Isratech Jamaica Limited

The contract was signed by officials of the Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change and Isratech during a ceremony at Jamaica House.

Under the contract, Isratech will be responsible for, among other things, liaising with the Rural Agricultural and Development Authority (RADA) to identify suitable farmers for training and farms to be utilised for demonstration purposes; conducting field reconnaissance to select the training sites and prepare a logistics plan; building support for incubation/workdays and capacity development for select groups; and conducting community sensitisation and awareness workshops.

The entity has over 35 years of experience in the agricultural sector, specialising in technologies such as drip irrigation, that maximise yields while conserving precious resources.

Portfolio Minister, Pearnel Charles Jr, explained that the Farmer Field-School methodology is a training programme, designed to heighten stakeholder awareness in farming communities.

This, he added, with a view to changing behaviour, so as to achieve sustainable environmental and farming practices.

“The overarching aim is to empower the farmers by providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills which will build resilience to the impacts of climate-related hazards. The farmers will be trained to disseminate their knowledge to other famers in the communities [which is] aimed at improving farming practices,” he said.

Charles emphasised that the project is critical to the Upper Minho Watershed area, which has been categorised as severely degraded by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) over the years.

This categorisation, he indicated, has resulted from unsustainable farming and land use practices as well as the exploitation of minerals, which have had a deleterious impact on the environment in the area.

In his remarks, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Alwin Hales pointed out that the project targets the Bull Head area, which is located within a forest reserve, and is home to approximately 40 mainly farming communities with an estimated population of nearly 70,000 people.

“The Farmer Field-Schools will, in no small measure, increase the ability of the targeted communities to improve their resilience to climate change impacts in terms of water and land management, as well as build institutional capacity and best practices,” he said.

Dr Hales noted that among the expected outcomes of the initiative are enhanced capacity to protect livelihoods and food security in the communities, and improved local capacity for sustainable management of natural resources and disaster risk reduction in the targeted areas.

For his part, Isratech’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Benjamin Hodara, said his company was grateful for “the opportunity to be a part of this noble initiative”.

He noted that empowering farmers by equipping them with the tools and knowledge of proper agronomic practices “is a strong step in the right direction” towards the important goal of building climate resilience in Jamaica.

“We are certain that the completion of the Farmer Field-School Programme… will lead to a great improvement in agricultural practices across the island for generations to come,” Hodara said.

RADA’s Senior Director for Technology, Training and Technical Information, Winston Shaw, said the initiative is important as the Government seeks to continue building farmers’ capacity and resilience against the ever-changing variabilities in climate.

The Farmer Field-Schools initiative falls under the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism for the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (AP and FM-PPCR).

The programme was developed by the Government of Jamaica and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as part of the country’s Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience with the overall goal of increasing Jamaica’s resilience to climate change.

The AP and FM-PPCR was previously implemented by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and is now being spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change.

— JIS

Montego Bay society came out in their hundreds on October 10 to welcome Isratech Jamaica Ltd. to the second city’s business community at a glittering launch event at the company’s new facility in Reading, Montego Bay. After 35 years of operations in Jamaica, the company has expanded its operations into the northcoast of the island with the major investment at the new complex.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw was the keynote speaker at the launch and was full of praise for the Hodara family, founders of the company: “What is fantastic about them,” Shaw said, “is the technology that they have brought to Jamaica and to agriculture in Jamaica. Karl Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with Responsibility for Water, Housing and Infrastructure also addressed the large gathering, along with Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis, who thanked the Isratech team for choosing the tourist capital for its Cornwall hub. “Montego Bay is pleased to welcome another major investment to its already impressive collection of world-rated and serious investors,” the mayor said. “We are welcoming a company that prides itself in being pioneers in the expansion of the latest technology in water, agriculture, and alternative energy.”

Both government ministers used the backdrop of the opening ceremony to announce the inception of the recent contract to construct the long-awaited Montego Bay Bypass. Samuda said that the roadway’s time “has not only come but has passed. We need to move rapidly to put that behind us because that will bring about enormous improvements to Montego Bay”.

With operations already in place in Middlesex at Kendal, Manchester and in Surrey at Red Hills Road, Kingston, Isratech’s new facility expands the company’s commitment to sustainable national development by providing fully integrated goods and services to customers with a one-stop concept, offering project engineering and locally manufactured goods to customers in national, municipal, industrial and residential markets. 

For customers looking for items in Jamaica’s widest range of of PVC and poly pipe products, as well as a host of infrastructure-related goods for irrigation, water management and energy solutions, the Isratech Cornwall Complex features a 6000-square foot retail outlet, 7000 square feet of warehouse space and a fully staffed engineering and sales office.

Customers at the Montego Bay location will be able to consult with full-time Isratech engineers, getting expert advice on their projects as they seek the necessary components from the many thousand items available.

Supports Sustainable Infrastructure Strategies for Multi-Sector Enterprises

While most savvy business owners and C-level decision-makers understand the critical importance of integrating sustainable infrastructure in their business modelling, two factors recur as stumbling blocks to action:  information regarding technologies and systems applicable to their businesses, and the cost to implement.

The Isratech Jamaica Limited group of companies (“IJL”) has partnered with Jamaica National Small Business Loan (“JNSBL”) to advance businesses forward on their path to growth.

IJL – through its divisions Jamaica Drip Irrigation, Isratech Energy Solutions and Isratech Waterworks, leverages its unique capabilities and expertise to provide the highly technical consultation and product quality required to deliver sustainable solutions including greenhouse farming, irrigation systems, PV systems and solar water heating, rainwater harvesting systems, water and wastewater infrastructure, wastewater treatment.

JNSBL offers among their suite of loans, special streams of funding, with specific focus on supporting sustainable projects including climate adaptive or mitigation strategies, as well as energy efficiency initiatives and techniques.  These streams of funding are offered on very good terms and provide well-needed support to the MSME sector to implement developmental and sustainable solutions.

The partnership with JNSBL augers well for accelerating the development of sustainable infrastructure to serve many sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, agro-processing, food industry, tourism, residential and commercial developments and municipalities.

Broadly speaking, sustainable infrastructure encompasses a wide range of initiatives focused on climate adaptive efficiencies related to energy, water and land management. All industries would do well to build in sustainable infrastructure and systems into their operations as a backdrop not only for socio-environmental leadership, but also operational and fiscal resilience.

The first success story emerging from the partnership is Starlight Chalet and Health Spa in Silver Hill Gap, Blue Mountain, St. Andrew.  The business will benefit from a loan package ear-marked to integrate sustainable infrastructure through wind turbines, solar water heaters and rainwater harvesting tanks from IJL’s Isratech Waterworks and Isratech Energy Solutions divisions.

It doesn’t take long to see why Starlight Chalet and Health Spa was able to gain the support of the partnership.

Denise Nairne, proprietor, has codified her passion for Jamaica and the efficient use of abundant natural energy sources by crafting a strategic commitment called ‘The Green Initiative’.   Nairne asserts that the Green Initiative allows the business to benefit from cost efficiencies using the environmentally responsible technology solutions available through Isratech Jamaica Ltd.

Benjamin Hodara, Vice President of Sales & Marketing asserts, “This partnership between JNSBL and IJL presents a excellent opportunity for the business community to make a difference in preserving our unique Jamaican environment by implementing sustainable, climate-smart solutions today.”

Manchester, JAMAICA  November 28, 2017 – While most savvy business owners and C-level decision-makers understand the critical importance of integrating sustainable infrastructure in their business modelling, two factors recur as stumbling blocks to action:  information regarding technologies and systems applicable to their businesses, and the cost to implement.

The Isratech Jamaica Limited group of companies (“IJL”) has partnered with Jamaica National Small Business Loan (“JNSBL”) to advance businesses forward on their path to growth.

IJL – through its divisions Jamaica Drip Irrigation, Isratech Energy Solutions and Isratech Waterworks, leverages its unique capabilities and expertise to provide the highly technical consultation and product quality required to deliver sustainable solutions including greenhouse farming, irrigation systems, PV systems and solar water heating, rainwater harvesting systems, water and wastewater infrastructure, wastewater treatment.

JNSBL offers among their suite of loans, special streams of funding, with specific focus on supporting sustainable projects including climate adaptive or mitigation strategies, as well as energy efficiency initiatives and techniques.  These streams of funding are offered on very good terms and provide well-needed support to the MSME sector to implement developmental and sustainable solutions.

The partnership with JNSBL augers well for accelerating the development of sustainable infrastructure to serve many sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, agro-processing, food industry, tourism, residential and commercial developments and municipalities.

Broadly speaking, sustainable infrastructure encompasses a wide range of initiatives focused on climate adaptive efficiencies related to energy, water and land management. All industries would do well to build in sustainable infrastructure and systems into their operations as a backdrop not only for socio-environmental leadership, but also operational and fiscal resilience.

The first success story emerging from the partnership is Starlight Chalet and Health Spa in Silver Hill Gap, Blue Mountain, St. Andrew.  The business will benefit from a loan package ear-marked to integrate sustainable infrastructure through wind turbines, solar water heaters and rainwater harvesting tanks from IJL’s Isratech Waterworks and Isratech Energy Solutions divisions.

It doesn’t take long to see why Starlight Chalet and Health Spa was able to gain the support of the partnership.

Denise Nairne, proprietor, has codified her passion for Jamaica and the efficient use of abundant natural energy sources by crafting a strategic commitment called ‘The Green Initiative’.   Nairne asserts that the Green Initiative allows the business to benefit from cost efficiencies using the environmentally responsible technology solutions available through Isratech Jamaica Ltd.

Benjamin Hodara, Vice President of Sales & Marketing asserts, “This partnership between JNSBL and IJL presents a excellent opportunity for the business community to make a difference in preserving our unique Jamaican environment by implementing sustainable, climate-smart solutions today.”

Isratech Jamaica Limited staff proudly load containers of relief items destined for Dominica.

Mandeville, JAMAICA October 26, 2017 – Isratech Jamaica Limited (“IJL”) is well known as a philanthropic champion in many local communities.  While the company’s principals generally adopt a modest, low-key approach to its charitable endeavours, the intensity of the devastation meted out to the region by the recent spate of natural disasters compelled the company to use its resources and support Dominica in its time of need.

IJL temporarily suspended regular business at its headquarters in Mandeville to convert its operations into a packaging and distribution hub for the relief goods destined for Dominica, valued at over $2M.

The extensive damage to Dominica’s water infrastructure has severely compromised water safety and accessibility. IJL specializes in this area and felt duty-bound to provide assistance with expertise and equipment to help rebuild Dominica quickly and ease the pressure off the local water authorities.   In addition, the company has also supplied a substantial amount of basic relief items.

Benjie Hodara, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, asserts that the wave of destruction presents the opportunity to rebuild using newer technologies and sustainable infrastructure to strengthen the country’s resilience to future catastrophic events.

Jamaica Drip Irrigation is spreading its wings across the island and the Caribbean.

Our awareness of the challenges faced by farmers as it relates to irrigation and water scarcity has prompted us to make our irrigation products and solutions more accessible. Our products are now available through registered resellers/ distributors in St. Catherine, St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland for ease of access to farmers in those areas. We seek to have our products available to farmers in other regions and therefore encourage farm stores or similar entities in other areas to join us.

Help your farming community and diversify your product range, with the opportunity to boost your business and partake of other great benefits. Interested persons please contact Benjie (579-6924) or email benjie@isratech.com.