St Ann farmers get tanks, irrigation system under climate change project

A total of 50 farmers from Cascade in St Ann have benefitted from the Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership Project, which seeks to enhance their capabilities in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Under the project, the Cascade farmers received 1000-gallon tanks, a multipurpose shed that facilitated the harvesting of water in the tanks, and a drip irrigation system to irrigate their crops.

Additionally, they were involved in an extensive training programme that included workshop sessions, farmer field schools and field tours to other successful farms in the parishes of St Elizabeth and Manchester that utilize climate-smart technologies.

The sessions also exposed the farmers to information about climate change, climate-smart agriculture, water harvesting and irrigation technologies, and farming as a business.

The project, which exists in seven other Caribbean countries, was financed by the Government of Japan to the tune of $29 million and was implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the Jamaica 4-H Clubs.

The other countries include Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw said climate-smart agricultural practices are important to the protection of arable lands and enabling sustainable agricultural production.

“The Ministry has to remain vigilant and relentless in our efforts and our plans to promote food security and food safety and we do this through the implementation of agricultural policies and strategies that will enable the sector to adapt to climate change,” he said.

“These initiatives include training of our farmers, expansion of our irrigation network and boosting of our water harvesting capacity,” he continued.

His remarks were read on his behalf by Chief Technical Director in the Ministry, Dr Roy McNeil at the closing out ceremony of the project at Frazer, Church of God of Prophecy in the parish on October 15.

Shaw informed that other projects are presently under way in certain parishes to assist farmers in climate adaptation and mitigation.

They include the United Kingdom-funded Essex Valley Project, which will benefit 700 farmers in addressing water-related challenges in the Essex Valley area of St Elizabeth and sections of Manchester.

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