The Rural Agricultural Development Authority's (RADA) St. James branch is moving to introduce greenhouse technology in the parish, with the first facility to be constructed in the Mafoota area at a cost of approximately $600,000.

The facility will benefit farmers, who are involved in the production of vegetables for the hotel sector. Acting parish manager for (RADA) in St. James, Wentworth Mitchell, said preliminary work for the construction of the 40 by 200 square-foot greenhouse has been done and is expected to be completed in November.

The facility, he said, "is to be structured with all the necessary ingredients that would go into our operation including water, which would be critical, and the facility would be so structured that we would be able to carry on our production even if it is the rainy period."

He noted that adverse weather conditions had caused a decline in production in the parish for the third quarter of the year, but we are "hoping that with the introduction of the greenhouse technology, we would be able to modify this type of environment, where we would be able to grow our crops irrespective of whether we are having rains or we are experiencing dry conditions".