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RADA Completes Workshops on Land Husbandry

December 16, 2004

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The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), in collaboration with the Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project (EJASP), has completed a series of workshops in Land Husbandry and Environmental Management, aimed at educating farmers about the importance of soil conservation and the methodologies involved in land sustainability.
Extension Officer at RADA, Donavan Walker told JIS News that after the passage of hurricane Ivan, many farms in St. Andrew experienced a number of landslides, leading to deterioration of the top soil. This, he said, has not only impacted negatively on farm production, but has also affected the state of watersheds in these areas.
In order to combat soil erosion and protect the watersheds, Mr. Walker said RADA had undertaken a number of community awareness programmes, practical demonstrations and facilitated work days at various farms where landslides were “extremely bad”, in order to encourage farmers to adopt suitable measures necessary for soil conservation. Vivian Blake, Co-ordinator for the National Integrated Watershed Management Council at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), said the workshops were essential as they exposed farmers to the measures that could assist in conserving soil, as well as watershed areas.
The workshops, which took place recently in the districts of Woodford, Hall’s Delight and Temple Hall in St. Andrew, exposed farmers to a number of environmental management techniques, including the planting of pineapple barriers along contours, planting forest trees, installing gully plugs, laying Gabion Baskets, and using tyres to stabilize the land. Other organizations involved in the workshops were the NEPA, and the Forestry Department.

Last Updated: December 16, 2004

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