Farmers urged to maintain drains on their farms

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is urging farmers to maintain their drains and ditches to help remove excess water from their farms.

This step is critical to the recovery process, as excess water can leave plants, especially their roots, susceptible to rotting and spikes in pest populations. Senior Plant Health and Food Safety Officer with RADA, Francine Webb, told JIS News that farmers should regularly check drains to ensure that they function effectively during heavy rains. Webb also reminded farmers that RADA extension officers are available to help them to strengthen their emergency plans. She is encouraging them to reach out to the officers in their parishes for technical assistance and support.

"Once a [weather] system is out, your time is going to have to be shared between your preparedness at home and your farm preparedness. This is why it is so important for you to have a plan in place and RADA is here to assist you in terms of developing your emergency plan ... depending on the operation that you have," Webb said.

"It's something there for you to look out for, and for you to tick off to make sure you are doing all that you need to do to reduce the level of damage and to ensure that within a short space of time, you're quickly able to return to normal, once the system has passed," she said.