House sectoral debate centres on agriculture recovery, transport crisis and culture policy

The House of Representatives resumed its sitting on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, for the sectoral debate, with Speaker Pearnel Charles Jr. presiding after prayers and roll call.

Green Paper 01 of 2026, the National Youth in Agricultural Policy, was laid on the table. The House also approved a motion, after suspending standing orders, to allow the Standing Orders Committee to hold hybrid physical and virtual meetings.

A member complained that a portable air-conditioning unit was drowning out debate; the Speaker said permanent repairs were still in procurement. Another member urged stricter observance of parliamentary decorum after noisy cross-talk during prayers.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green, MP for St. Elizabeth South Western, opened the sectoral block with his “Growing Forward” presentation. He tabled the youth-in-agriculture policy as a green paper, released a draft 10-year national agricultural development plan for public comment, and reported domestic crop output of 811,244 tons in 2025—a 5.7 per cent rise and the second-highest on record despite Hurricane Melissa. He outlined Melissa recovery spending, $1.2 billion in production programmes, greenhouse expansion, drought mitigation, agro-park rollout, fisheries and aquaculture measures, and a mining segment covering bauxite exports, JISCO/Alpart, and rare-earth work on red mud. The House granted him extra time to cover mining; an opposition spokesperson received additional minutes on that portfolio.

North West Manchester MP Mikael Phillips, shadow minister for transport and mining, followed from a seat other than his own with permission. He said transport was “on life support” without a coherent national policy, citing the April 20, 2026 bus withdrawal on the Spanish Town–Kingston corridor and JUTC losses he put above $100 billion over a decade, with only 221 buses deployed on May 12. He pressed for a national transport plan, fair-pricing reform, and action on ride-hailing regulation, and challenged the government on Alpart/JISCO timelines.

St. James Southern MP and opposition culture spokesperson Dr. Angela Brown Burke delivered her maiden sectoral speech, arguing culture, creativity and information should be treated as economic infrastructure—not “ornamental” add-ons—and calling for rural cultural tourism, creative-industry investment, and clearer media and government communication rules. A point of order was raised after she referred to unnamed media tax write-offs without naming a outlet; the Speaker allowed her to continue.

Visitors in the gallery included 16 Mile Gully High School students with two teachers. Opposition Leader Mark Golding was absent for the funeral of former minister Hugh Hart.

House Leader Juliet Holness moved to suspend sectoral presentations until May 19, recommit questions for answers, and adjourn the sitting. The House agreed and rose for a date to be fixed.