Agriculture provides more than food; it contributes to economic growth and better livelihoodsfor farmers such as Whitfield Lyons. Lyons, from La Poterie, St.Andrew, has been farming full time for five years . The 44-year-old is a cash-crop Farmer and plants cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes and bell peppers. He bases his successes on the location and nutrient content of his plot. “The area where I farm, I think they do very well here.Therefore, I decided to make a living out of farming.”
He sees farming as a lucrative business venture that requires the investment of time and attention. “For you to be successful you have to devote noless than 6 hours per day to your farm. That is why I quitted whatever I was doing before and went into farming full time,” he said.
While he aspires to go into new crops, along with continuing to plant soursop, he sees himself propagating a few coconut plots soon.
Lyons’ experience in agriculture was through another farmer, Isaac Bernard. “As a little boy, I visited his farm regularly. I have seen tomatoes grown from seeds into actual fruit. That is where I think I developed the love to see things grow,” he admitted.
Whitfield’s favourite crop to plant is watermelon.He explained why this is so. “They are always in demand, it does very well in sandy soil- the ones here on my farm and based on the variety you plant it matures very quickly, so you can have a quick turn-over from that. ”
His major challenges include experiencing the effects of the rainy season, irrigation and drought-like conditions, during this dry season.
“When there is no rain, I use a lot more fuel for my pumps.Based on where you are farming as well, you are unable to irrigate, because you may pump salted water; in my case I’ve experienced that not too long ago. Then there are persons who want to farm, based on the location they cannot irrigate as much as they like. I scale back my farming in the wet season.’’
The impactof ClimateChange is a learning and challenging experience for him. He says farmers around his area have to often make decisions like , “which crops to plant, when to plant, where to plant.”
He sells quite a lot of produce to the Marketing and National Importing Board and values the importance of eating healthy. “If we could grow what we import, we would cut down that bill…. I want to encourage young people to go into farming, it is very lucrative, and we can feed ourselves. We don’t have to depend on outside sources to feed us.”
The La Poterie based farmer believes that the COVID-19 Pandemic was a blessing for him. “ I was always eating healthy, like other people – eating fresh fruits and vegetables. That opened my market, I had an abundance of watermelons and cantaloupes and that was when I was able to really make some money. It actually worked to my advantage.”
Lyons encourages new farmers to be prepared to make investments into their ventures and to be mindful that many times they may have to start from scratch.
Things to note about Whitfield:
- He developed a love for watching plants grow at a young age.
- He quit his other job to become a full-time farmer- and has been farming for some 5 years.
- He believes that the soil type at his farm is responsible for the success he has made with many of the varieties.
ENHANCED IRRIGATION PRACTICES ( Tip provided Chief Land Use Officer -Trevor Thompson (Ag))
It is important that Farmers understand that they must at this time always follow efficient
irrigation practices. The following practices will allow you to have a productive vegetable garden and still reduce water consumption.
When to Irrigate: Irrigate in the morning when temperatures are cool but rising or late in the evening. Not at midday. If Crops wilt during the day, they will not die. It is a water saving mechanism that they employ.
Practice efficient irrigation. This can be achieved by the following.
- Evaluate your irrigation system: Farmers must reduce water use inefficiency and increase efficiency by managing and maintaining their systems. All Leaks in pumps and lines must be repaired. They must know how much water is available, how much they need to apply and how uniformly it should be distributed. The Extension Service must work with them to adjust hardware and management, to improve uniformity and scheduling. The soaker hose or leaky pipe must not be encouraged because it consumes more water than an efficient system.
- Apply only what is necessary to meet crop water requirements: Check the soil for moisture before you water and use weather, soils and crop information to estimate crop needs. Irrigate when the top 2-4 inches of soil is dry to the touch. This is especially important if using mulch, where water can be held in the soil for longer periods of time. As a general rule, field crops should be irrigated whenever the soil water depletion approaches 50% of the available water in the root zone. This minimizes crop stress and keeps yields high.
TO BE CONTINUED.
REMINDER- THE HUNTING SEASON IS CLOSED
The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry reminds the public that the 2021 hunting season is CLOSED and will remain closed until September 30, 2021.
Animals that should not be hunted during the closed period are as follows:
- MANICOU
- TATOU
- MONKEY
- IGUANA
- RAMIER (Scaly-naped Pigeon)
The Ministry cautions that hunting during the CLOSED season carries a penalty of $1,000.00 (one thousand dollars) or a term of six (6) months imprisonment. The public is asked to be guided accordingly.
Planting Days – May
14th – 16th
Plant seedbeds and flower gardens. Most favourable for corn, cotton, okra, beans, peppers, eggplant, and other aboveground crops.
17th – 20th
A barren period. Favourble for killing plant pests, cultivating, or taking a short vacation.
21st – 22nd
Favourable time for sowing hay, fodder crops, and grains. Plant flowers. Excellent time for planting corn, beans, peppers and other aboveground crops.
