Thirty-seven women in Northwest Clarendon have received supplies to start their own chicken ventures, under a Ministry of Agriculture and Land-funded income-generating project.

The supplies, which include 50 chickens and five bags of feed each, were handed out at a recent ceremony at the Spalding United Church Hall.

Member of Parliament for the constituency, Richard Azan, said the programme was designed to "assist women, especially those who are single parents, to help them make a living".

He said that about 120 women in northwest Clarendon have benefited under the initiative, which started two years ago, with some 6,000 chickens distributed. "The first batch of about 40 beneficiaries received their chickens and feed in April this year. Others have gotten between then and now ... and in all, about 120 women have benefited so far," he stated.

According to Mr. Azan, "This programme has cost approximately $500,000 so far and we're very happy for the collaborative effort that is in place with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and other agencies to have this programme on the ground."

Meanwhile, he said a training session would be held today for the beneficiaries, involving resource persons from the Ministry of Health, RADA and Jamaica Broilers. The training will provide information on the care and management of the birds, proper waste disposal, among other things.