Farmers Urged to Report Pest Infestations

Farmers islandwide are being urged to report changes in pest populations affecting their fields to the relevant officers in the Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Ministry.

Pests left unchecked can devastate fields of crops, resulting in significant losses for farmers and jeopardising Jamaica’s food security.

Identifier/Entomologist in the Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection (PQPI) Unit in Kingston, Karen Barrett Christie, says the relationship between farmers and Ministry officers is crucial for sustainable farming.

“A lot of times, farmers will see something that is unusual, but they will just deal with it themselves. We want farmers to get in the habit of communicating with their RADA (Rural Agricultural Development Authority) or our Research and Development and Plant Quarantine Officers, so that there is synergy between all of us,” she said.

Mrs. Barrett Christie told JIS News that farmers’ efforts are pivotal in bolstering pest surveillance and monitoring islandwide.

“When something comes into the country, we would be able to attack it immediately so that we’re not waiting for the thing to become established and then we all hold our heads and say, ‘oh my God, if we had known that it was here, we could have done [this] or we could have done [that]’. We want to know when it comes right away so that our farmers, especially, will not be negatively affected,” she said.

To contact the PQPI, persons can call 876- 927-1731-50.