- The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has allocated $134Mn to provide tangible relief to farmers affected by the current dry period. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during a statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (February 4).
- He indicated that while no parish has experienced a meteorological drought, seven recorded below-average rainfall, with measurements in December 2024 ranging from 53% to 85% of their 30-year climatological means. “This means that seven parishes got lower rainfall than their 30-year average.
- Recognising the urgency of the situation and the potential impact of drier months ahead, particularly February, March and July, Mr. Green said the Ministry has already commenced taking the necessary steps to alleviate the effects of the dry period and brace for the months to come.
- “First on the front lines is water trucking, to aid in the hardest-hit parishes of St. Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon. The Ministry has already committed $30Mn, of which $14Mn will be administered by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and $16Mn by the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) to accelerate delivery and to ensure that our farmers get the water that they need,” he outlined.
- Mr. Green further explained that $79Mn has been earmarked to procure the tanks and drip irrigation kits. The Ministry is also partnering with individual farmers and groups of farmers to establish water catchment areas, necessitating the provision of pond liners.
- “We have earmarked $17Mn to provide pond liners in response to our ongoing dry period,” Mr. Green said. Additionally, $8Mn is being earmarked to provide grass mulch, a powerful input to help farmers retain soil moisture and safeguard crops.
(Source: JIS)