Unpredictable weather patterns precipitated by longer droughts and more frequent rainfall are being cited among some of the major climate change challenges which have been impairing growth for the local agriculture sector.

Climate change, which global food experts believe will contribute substantially to future food insecurity, is likely to also result in higher prices for products and reduced food production.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) article done in 2008 had indicated that among the long list of potential problems expected to come from global warming, the risks to agriculture stand out as one of those most impacting.

“It has been widely recognised that developing countries in general stand to lose more from the effects of global warming on agriculture than do industrial countries. This, as most developing countries have less capacity to adapt than do their wealthier neighbours. Most are also in warmer parts of the globe, where temperatures are already close to or beyond thresholds at which further warming will reduce rather than increase agricultural output,” the report said.

Agricultural stakeholders in pointing to the various level of impacts on the sector have all agreed that climate change realities in recent years have truly started to materialise in more aggressive ways, incurring higher costs for farmers and other key stakeholders.

For the Jamaica Coffee Growers Association (JCGA), their President Donald Salmon said that coffee farmers, which have been feeling the pinch from persistent rainfall in the last three weeks, are now suffering from further losses as blocked roadways and damaged infrastructure presents new structural challenges wherein farmers are prevented from accessing their fields to harvest ripe berries.

“I did a tour of most of our farms last week and a significant quantity, or millions of dollars, have been reported lost as the recent heavy rains ­— worsened by blocked roads due to landslides — now prevents farmers from getting to the coffee. As a result, these farmers are hurting and they are now contemplating how they will be able to recover from all the losses, which they have estimated between $800,000-$1,000,000 per individual.

“During this tour we visited St Thomas, Portland and St Andrew — the three main areas to look at some of the sections most affected and in some parts of west Portland alone, losses were estimated within the range of 15,000 boxes or about $120 million in revenues. If we should, however, look at all the areas, this further translates to losses of approximately 20,000-30,000 boxes or $160 million-$240 million in earnings. First, it was the drought but as it is now we are seeing where heavy rains in the last few weeks have further exacerbated existing challenges,” Salmon told the Jamaica Observer in an interview this week.

Pleading for greater assistance from government through the relevant personnel and agencies, the JCGA head said that coffee farmers, in light of the continued losses, are also now in dire need of all available technical assistance to have the road networks cleared along with the requisite financial assistance to counter losses and to secure proper insurance coverage in the wake of future events.

Lenworth Fulton, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), in recounting similar challenges which he said have been affecting both crop and livestock farmers, agreed that the sustainability of the sector was indeed under threat, especially if the estimated 15-20 per cent of its usual output or billions in earnings continue to be eroded by the impacts of climate change.

He explained to the Business Observer that aside from the direct impacts on flora and fauna, climate change has also blighted a number of other social and economic prospects for the sector resulting in scaled employment opportunities in mainly the rural areas, higher crime and violence in some parts of these same areas and increased operational costs for farmers.

“More rainfall leads to reduced production and the demand for labour while warmer climate breeds more pests and higher infestation for certain crops. With more pest, farmers are often faced with the need to buy more pesticide in order to undertake intensive spraying activities,” he said, noting all occurring as a result of the multiplied effects of the change in weather patterns which in the process also adds higher costs while raising new health concerns for farmers, who may have to increase their usage of certain chemicals to eradicate pest.

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin) in its last report on gross domestic product (GDP) out-turns said that the agriculture sector which was one in the goods-producing industry to have returned a negative output, contracted by 8.1 per cent during the April-June quarter. According to the preliminary findings, this was largely attributed to adverse drought conditions over the period which resulted in a decline in the area of crops reaped and a reduction in crop yields across most groups.

Fulton, in also calling on government to undertake increased research and development studies and to fund more public education campaigns, believes that these could help to bring some amount of relief to the ailing sector.

“Going forward, I believe that some of the challenges that continue to plague the sector as it relates to climate change issues will continue to persist until, as a country, we can move to have sensible, well-designed public education programmes, carefully put together with the proper messaging,” he stated.