Jamaica: Greater Focus on Climate-Smart Farming

 

There is a call being made for more climate-smart farming methods to be practiced to improve resilience to climate change and to increase agricultural productivity. The call comes from a Project Management Specialist at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, and Fisheries.

Climate change continues to pose a threat to agriculture with increased temperatures and unavailability of water. It is for this reason the ministry wants farmers to focus on more climate-smart farming methods. The Ministry is now working with the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education (CASE) in Portland to make this a reality.

“We provided assistance and partner with the institution in providing approximately $15 million to assist with the procurement and installation of the internal ventilation facility,” says I.W Wilson. ” In addition to that, we recognised that the resources were in accordance with the objectives that were approved so we provided further assistance through the ministry.”

Over the years attempts have been made to educate farmers on climate-smart agricultural practices…as small-scale farmers in Jamaica are seen as the most vulnerable to natural hazards.

President of College of Agriculture, Science and Education, Derrick Deslandes says students are being trained in climate-smart agricultural practices.

“This is new. This is modern. This is the way we are trying to bring the college so that we can have the students trained in a much better environment,” he shared.

Deslandes says this move will be transformational for the college and students enrolled.

“We want to ensure our students are taught in modern facilities. We want to make this college world-class and we cannot make it world-class without world-class facilities.”