Farmers to Get Help with Water Tanks, Drip Irrigation Systems and Water Pumps

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has announced an allocation of $30 million to provide on-farm infrastructure to assist farmers, as the agricultural sector embarks on its Hurricane Melissa recovery plan.

He informed that the Ministry is in the process of procuring the items, including water tanks, drip irrigation systems and water pumps.

Mr. Green made the disclosure at a handover exercise for walk-behind tractors and earth augers on Wednesday (November 26), at the Amity Hall Agro-Park in St. Catherine.

Six of each farm equipment were handed over and will be distributed in parishes with arable land on hilly terrain in areas that were not devastated by the October 28 major storm.

He noted that an additional $30 million has been allotted to provide chemical support to help farmers manage pests and diseases that tend to multiply after periods of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes.

“We know after any significant weather-related event you normally have a lot of challenges with pests and diseases. We’ve sent out our plant quarantine team to look especially in areas where farmers are reporting that they’re seeing pests that they’re not familiar with,” Minister Green said, noting that the Ministry is in the process of procuring the necessary chemicals.

He urged farmers to make reports of pests and diseases immediately, so they can be quickly addressed.

Meanwhile, Minister Green maintained that private-sector support is crucial in the agricultural sector’s recovery efforts.

He applauded Newport-Fersan (Jamaica) Limited, which has committed approximately $25 million to provide fertiliser support, which is expected to be presented to the Ministry by next week.
Minister Green concluded his address with an urgent call for farmers to sign up for the GraceKennedy (GK) Weather Protection Programme.

He pointed out that this level of protection is especially necessary, as season three, which runs from December to March, is set to begin and tends to bring an extended period of dry weather.

“It is a season that we normally have prolonged dryness, and based on all the indications, we’re going to go into extreme heat from January all the way down. I would say to the farmers, now is the time to sign up,” he urged.

The Minister reiterated that the Ministry is poised to provide free sign-up support for at least 2,000 farmers for the basic coverage offered under the insurance scheme.

However, farmers are allowed and encouraged to top up this basic coverage for a larger payout in the event of damage.

The initiative, administered by the GK General Insurance Company Limited, is structured to deliver swift, predetermined payouts triggered by weather events such as excess rainfall, drought, and hurricane force winds.