KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda says his ministry has installed several Automated Weather Stations (AWS), in major crop producing areas across the island.

These, he said, are of critical importance in mainstreaming a new climate services component to support the building of the agricultural sector’s reliance to climate change.

“Climate-smart agriculture is critical to increasing productivity, incomes, enhancing reliance of livelihoods and ecosystems, and reducing and removing greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere,” Samuda said.

Samuda’s announcement was included in his keynote address at the Jamaica Agricultural Society’s (JAS) Second National Agricultural, Food Security and Economic Summit, held on April 21 at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, read by Chief Technical Director in the ministry, Dermon Spence.

Samuda noted that the AWS systems allows for detailed analysis of climatic and weather related trends, and the planning of strategic interventions.

He pointed out also that the instruments provide reliable and timely data to farmers, to aid in decision making on crop planting, fertilization, irrigation, pest management intervention and spraying, as well as harvesting.

Samuda said that the transformation of the agriculture sector, is a “matter of urgency for [the] sustainable increase of productivity and incomes.”

Through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), and other agencies, the ministry has been utilizing demonstration plots to illustrate best practices in aspects of climate smart land husbandry.