Jamaica’s agriculture minister has said that one of the country’s oldest sugar factories is soon to close, resulting in the loss of more than 200 jobs.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The state-owned Hampden factory in the northwestern parish of Trelawny will not reopen for the next sugar harvest, which is set to begin later this month, Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke told parliament.

The Hampden factory, which began operations in 1909, lost J$450m (US$9m) last year. The plant’s sugar cane milling will be absorbed by the nearby Long Pond factory. Some of the laid-off workers will be taken on by the Long Pond factory, while the others are to receive compensation, reported Reuters.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact