The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has earmarked $100 million as part of its activated drought mitigation protocols aimed at providing immediate and diverse assistance to farmers through various agencies to contain the problem.
A statement from the ministry on Thursday said the protocols also came as a response to significant rainfall deficits recorded across several parishes during May of this year.
The ministry said recent data from the Meteorological Service of Jamaica shows that rainfall levels averaged just 65 per cent of the 30-year normal, with south-central and south-eastern parishes most affected.
“Parishes such as Clarendon (38%), Manchester (66%), St Elizabeth (74%) and St Catherine (45%) have been experiencing below-normal rainfall since April, while St Thomas recorded only 21 per cent of its typical May total, indicating a worrying trend of consistent dryness,” the ministry stated.
Other parishes such as Trelawny (64 per cent) and St Ann (68 per cent) have also registered below-normal rainfall levels, further underscoring the widespread nature of the deficit, the Agriculture Ministry reported.
According to the release, the $100 million being earmarked by the ministry will provide “immediate and diverse assistance” through various channels to farmers, including the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the Agro-Invest Corporation (AIC), Members of Parliament (MPs), and the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS).
“Of that amount, $10 million has already been disbursed for urgent water trucking interventions in the parishes of Manchester, St Elizabeth, St Ann, Trelawny, and Clarendon,” the Agriculture Ministry indicated.
Further, RADA has been engaged to coordinate the trucking efforts using private contractors.
Additionally, as part of proactive planning, the ministry procured 1,300 small irrigation kits earlier this year, which are now ready for distribution, and are to be delivered to targeted farming communities over the next three weeks.
“Resources have also been reallocated within the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) to concentrate support on the hardest-hit areas. This includes optimising irrigation schedules, redirecting flows, and providing technical assistance to mitigate soil moisture loss,” the ministry stated.
Meanwhile, the installation of new community-based catchment and storage systems in strategic locations to build resilience against continued dry spells is also being explored by the ministry.
The release noted that, “the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) for the April to May period highlights worsening dryness in several parishes, with St James registering “severely dry” conditions and declining trends observed in St Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon.”
The report also noted increased risk of bushfires and crop stress, particularly where windy conditions have accelerated moisture loss.
Said Portfolio Minister, Floyd Green, on the overall developments: “The ministry is closely monitoring the evolving conditions, fully aware that we may shift rapidly from drought to heavy rainfall.
“As such, we are actively advancing our drainage works and disaster preparedness efforts to ensure a swift and effective response to any weather-related events,” Green was quoted as saying in the release.
Meanwhile, the ministry said the “national rainfall outlook for the June to August quarter indicates that southern and south-central parishes may continue to experience below-normal rainfall.”
On that score, Jamaicans are being urged to conserve water and remain vigilant about fire safety.
Source - https://www.loopnews.com
