Five-day forecast for farmers
Published:Wednesday | January 29, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Jodi-Ann Gilpin, Staff Reporter
Farmers will now be able to access the weather forecast and environmental information once they have a smartphone.
Jeffery Spooner, director at the National Meteorological Service of Jamaica, said the initiative, known as the five-day weather forecast, was geared towards assisting farmers in making informed decisions and enhancing efficiency in the farming sector.
"Farmers can now access the weather forecast five days in advance. The farmers really wanted this. They kept saying that they needed something more long term and sustainable so they will know how to plan their activities," said Spooner.
"They will be better able to know when to plant, when to reap, when to spray, and overall, just be empowered to make decisions that they need to make with respect to their activities. This is also geared towards planners, and the water sector in particular, who will be able to plan for any eventualities of the onset of drought, and it is something that is sustainable," he said.
Responding to concerns about whether most farmers have smartphones, Spooner insisted no one would be left in the dark.
"Even if they don't understand, we have liaisoned with our extension officers who can assist our farmers in the best possible way," he said.
In the meantime, he urged persons to do the necessary preparations for the drought season.
"It's still expected to be abnormally dry in the western section of the country, with improved rainfall conditions in the central and eastern parishes. So there are quite a few peculiarities happening because as we speak, we have drought conditions in western parishes, but we have flooding in other parishes," Spooner told The Gleaner.
"So we have to be vigilant and just be on the alert for any possibilities. We promise to get the necessary information to the public so that persons can be aware," he said.