RADA Ready to Assist with Recovery Efforts During Hurricane Season

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) stands ready to assist farmers to recover from any damage suffered during the current hurricane season, says Senior Livestock Specialist at the agency, Maxine Brown.

Speaking in a JIS “Get the Facts” interview, Ms. Brown said that following the passage of a system, farmers who have suffered damage should reach out to the Authority via the nearest parish office.

“They should contact RADA as soon as possible to document the damage and loss suffered. Take pictures of your animals,” she advised.

Ms. Brown said teams from the Authority try to go into the communities as quickly as possible after a hurricane or storm to conduct assessments.

“Sometimes you may have roads that are blocked so that we can’t get to the community, or flooding has taken place. What we try to do is a quick assessment of the losses, because now we have to document how much it is going to cost to be able to help the farmers to recover. This is a rapid assessment that is done until we can go fully into communities and do a more detailed assessment,” she pointed out.

RADA’s swift action on the ground is important in determining how the Government allocates resources to assist in the recovery effort.

“It’s a partnership. The farmer has to report; RADA gets that report and works with the Ministry of Agriculture. [This determines] which category of animals or which crops may need that support, and it shows which parishes seem to have suffered the most damage,” she said.

Meanwhile, farmers are encouraged to use the RADA mobile app to request farm visits from RADA officers, access best practices and get critical updates.

“In every parish, we have a RADA office where RADA officers are present. Farmers can also call 1-888-ASK-RADA. Farmers can check our Instagram and Facebook pages, as well and be part of RADA Connect,” she said.

She noted that RADA’s Chief Executive Officer, Garnett Edmondson, has introduced an initiative to go into the communities to encourage farmers to register “because when you are registered, that is how we’re able to plan for you”.

“We are going out more and more in the parishes and we’re digitising information as well,” she said.

For further details, persons may visit the agency’s website @rada.gov.jm.