RADA says farmers must continue to store and conserve water

Senior Livestock Specialist at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Maxine Brown, is calling on farmers to prioritise water storage and conservation as El Ni Niño conditions persist.

 

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) says farmers must continue prioritising water conservation and storage as El Niño conditions persist.

 

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts that El Niño will strengthen through the end of 2026, with a 97 per cent chance it will continue through early spring 2027.

 

As such, Jamaica is experiencing higher-than-normal temperatures, coupled with drier conditions from reduced rainfall, which can have negative implications for livestock if not mitigated.

 

Senior Livestock Specialist with RADA, Maxine Brown, said that drought is often considered a “slow onset disaster”.

 

“Meaning that you have time to put measures in place to prevent some of the deleterious effects of it. We have to start mitigating… not reacting to it. It is going to be difficult when you're in a drought situation to say that is a time that you're going to start collecting water,” she said.

 

Ms. Brown, who was speaking in an interview with JIS News, said drought conditions will result in forages, which are food sources for animals, drying up.

 

The likelihood may also increase for the emergency culling of animals who are unable to keep up with the herd. This could reflect an unfortunate result of improper record keeping from not paying keen attention to animals and their welfare.

 

“When drought is coming, we know that water [is the priority]. So, what are we doing about water? When we were having the rains, were we catching it? Were we storing it up at that time? Because you have to plan for the dry season in the rainy season.

 

So, when you have the rains, ensure you are catching up your water, and you have abundance of forages, you can start to make your silage. You can, when we have some dry periods in-between, use that time to do your hay as well,” Ms. Brown said.

 

Livestock owners should also include the installation of gutters in their drought preparations, to ensure that rainwater harvesting is maximised.

 

Drums must also be ready to facilitate the collection, treatment and storage of water.

 

“If you are using rainwater, you will need to add treatment to the water. I know the Government too has been pushing a lot of ponds. So, if you're not using the tank, you can start to dig your pond so that it's collecting the rainwater and you have excess water during the dry period,” she said.

 

For advice, further information and technical support, livestock owners are encouraged to visit the RADA Office in their parish or call 876-977-1158.

By Twila Wheelan