At age 22, Javian Bassier is the sole operator of a three-acre Scotch bonnet pepper farm which he run by himself using innovative agrotechnology.

The Vere Technical High School alumnus, who hails from Spring Plain in Clarendon, told JIS News that he has been passionate about agriculture since childhood.

He has been a member of the Clarendon 4-H Club for over five years and was an exhibitor at the 69th Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show at the Denbigh Showground from August 5 to 7.

Bassier engineered a smart irrigation system to enable him to remotely manage his farm and increase earnings.

“One of my goals is to cut the importation of farm produce from overseas,” he says, noting that it is the primary reason he has invested in agrotechnology.

Bassier recalls experiencing multiple failures before getting the system up and running. He also encountered challenges creating the mobile application which controls the irrigation system. The process, which lasted a year, cost him approximately J$200,000, as he had to source many inputs overseas.

“It’s fully powered by solar and I made an automatic controller with several sensors out here in the field to check the humidity of the soil and the moisture,” the young farmer said.

He also constructed a catchment area with an underground pump and pressure switch, which is automatically triggered when water flows from the National Irrigation Commission run low.

“The farm is 24-hour-monitored by the controller. I can pull up the records and know how much water I used on the crop,” Bassier explained.

Another major benefit of the smart irrigation system is that it reduces water waste, while maintaining plant health and quality.

Ready market

“Farming is not dirty work. I was glad to go to Denbigh to show people that you can wear [a] jacket and tie or pajamas and manage your farm,” Bassier said.

He indicates that he wants to improve his smart irrigation system by investing in a sensor that can monitor a larger acreage. Bassier told JIS News that his smart irrigation system has guaranteed him a higher yield of up to 15 per cent. The young farmer rotates each crop of Scotch bonnet pepper with sweet potato to improve soil health and optimise soil nutrients. With a contract in place, Bassier has a ready market for his goods once they are reaped.

“The crop takes three months to come in, and when it comes in, every week I reap like 4,000 pounds,” he shared.

With the success he has experienced so far in agriculture and his vision for Jamaica’s food security, Bassier reasons that it is critical for more youth to consider a future in the sector.

“Food is getting very expensive and countries may not be willing to share adequately. So, I want all our youth to get involved in agriculture. Grow what we eat and eat what we grow,” he underscored.