THE EDITOR, Sir:
IT IS with interest that I again read of the "drought" that is affecting sections of the island. Each year at about the same time no matter how much rain we have had before, the cry is the same - drought.
Let me point out some simple facts:
Jamaica has a biomodal pattern of rainfall - the primary maximum is in November and the secondary is in May of each year.
The period December to April is the driest on record in Jamaica.
Rain-fed agriculture is not sustainable as we have no control over rainfall - where, when, how much, how long.
However, we can improve our planning and harnessing of the rainfall across the island to more efficiently and effectively meet the water demands of the agricultural and public supply sectors.
Agrometeorology is the use of the rainfall data to enhance agricultural production and reduce the losses that farmers now suffer when we enter the normal dry season. The National Meteorological service collects rainfall data across the island and when this data is analysed it becomes information that is valuable and useful to farmers, ministries, planners and water experts. The services of the Met Office are used for prediction of weather, for airline travel and to warn of extreme events such as hurricanes.
The Met Office should also produce Agrometeorological information in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and in particular the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA). This information should be sent to the farmers and other users through a network using all means available both verbal, printed and electronic. RADA, with its extension services, should play the critical role of informing the the users of the information. The use of the information is a two-way process as there must be avenues for feedback.
The National Met Service needs to be strengthened by the installation of data collection equipment that will allow for the more rapid and reliable collection of rainfall data; computer equipment that will allow for the analysis of the data and the use of models to input various scenarios and the capacity strengthening of the personnel to carry out the processing, analysis and modelling of the data/information.
The cost of this will be far less than the losses suffered by farmers, the trucking of water, the economic loss to the country, the cost of importing substitutes and the payment of subsidies to farmers.
We have the basics (institution, systems and people) for providing this service and with some small investment a significant sector can be assisted while the benefit to the country will be huge, outweighing the investment.
I am, etc.,
BASIL FERNANDEZ, OD
Manging Director
Water Resources Authority
