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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/08/rada-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-4959" /><figcaption>Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Peter Thompson (centre), speaks with Senior Director of Technology, Training and Technical Information, RADA, Winston Shaw (left); and Principal Director, Climate Change Division, Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, UnaMay Gordon, at a recent workshop in Kingston. (Photo: JIS)</figcaption></figure>
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<p>The saying ‘Water is Life’ rings especially true for farmers. And with a prolonged drought parching sections of the island, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is seeking to make the precious commodity more accessible to farmers.</p>
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<p>Speaking at a workshop on Accelerating the Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture in Jamaica, chief executive officer RADA, Peter Thompson, announced that the authority will put in place sustainable water-harvesting techniques for farmers in a bid to bolster Jamaica’s food security.</p>
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<p>Thompson said the authority has conducted an audit of the island’s public<br> water catchment facilities with the objective of putting them back into<br> service.</p>
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<p>“We will be looking at issues related to earthen ponds. We will be looking at how we can rehabilitate some of the water catchments across the island.<br>We have done an assessment of all the catchments we have identified, and it will cost in excess of $200 million to repair them, so we will be looking at some of those,” he said.</p>
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<p>Thompson said while the ‘Black Tank’ programme continues to be used by<br>farmers in their irrigation activities, more sustainable systems need to be<br>introduced to protect the agricultural sector from shocks associated with<br>climate change.</p>
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