Jamaica: Agriculture Minister encourages farmers to utilize climate-smart technology

Jamaica: Jamaica's Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries - Floyd Green, has encouraged the islands' farmers to use more climate-smart technology and practices so that the crop loss can be reduced from frequently occurring and extreme weather occurrences.

The Minister noted, "We have seen it, and no one has to convince us in agriculture about the facts of the long dry periods, shorter & more intense rainy periods that come with prolonged flooding."

He further stated that the Caribbean island is a small developing nation and is very sensitive to the effects of climate change. The Minister added that in order to maximize the land space and utilize reclaimed lands such as - mined-out bauxite lands that are not in use, Jamaica has to move from open-field agriculture to protected agriculture. Following the statement, the Minister added that the farmers, especially those who are cultivating vegetable crops in twenty greenhouses on the mined-out bauxite lands, are getting benefitted from assistance under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund - JSIF, and Rural Economic Development Initiative - REDI II.

The Rural Economic Development Initiative would be imposed for the next five years. REDI II would work with the motive to develop both the agricultural and tourism sector by improving access to markets and strengthening climate-resilient strategies for targeted beneficiaries.

The Minister added that it is being with $42 million in funding from the World Bank and involves a partnership with the Jamaica Bauxite Institute - JBI and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority - RADA. The Minister addressed the people during his tour of the Greenhouse Cluster and Water Harvesting Project in Williamsfield, Manchester, on 22 July 2021. The significant food crops of Jamaica are grown primarily by small cultivators are such as sweet potatoes & yams, rice, potatoes, manioc, tomatoes, & beans. While the traditional agriculture crops include - bananas, sugar, coffee, citrus, cocoa and pimentos, out of which banana and sugar remain the significant ones. Jamaica is the main producer of marijuana, which, though, remains illegal.