With projections from the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) that there will be a decline in rainfall anticipated to start in March, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Floyd Green is urging farmers to make preparations.
Green further noted that his ministry had already begun putting provisions in place for the drought, which include the distribution of water tanks and land husbandry treatment interventions.
“We are ensuring that the ministry’s efforts in provision of support for on-farm irrigation, distribution of water tanks and land husbandry treatment interventions are aligned with our Agricultural Disaster Risk Management Programme,” said Green as he addressed a media briefing on January 27.
He further revealed that a meeting had been held with the Disaster Risk Management and Mitigation committee in preparation for the drought and plans have been made to implement a climate smart framework and strategy plan.
“They are to now implement the climate-smart framework and strategy plan, which was developed for the sector,” he said.
What is the climate smart framework?
In 2015, Jamaica developed a climate change policy framework, which has enabled the country to launch a number of interventions to climate proof the many sectors of the economy.
One of the interventions has been the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA).
CSA involves farming practices that improve farm productivity and profitability, helping farmers adapt to the negative effects of climate change and mitigate climate change effects.
The country is also a member of the Caribbean Climate-smart Agriculture Forum, a discussion platform formed in 2015 to help address climate change in agriculture across the region.
In 2020, 275,712 gallons of irrigated water were trucked to 136 farmers in 22 communities across the island.
The $194-million Drought Mitigation Programme, which got under way in May, implemented by the National Irrigation Commission, formed part of the ministry’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Recovery Programme.
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