KINGSTON, Jamaica — Ginger farmers from the Grant’s Bailey community in St Ann gathered on Wednesday with one goal in mind: to strengthen the fight against rhizome rot, one of the most damaging diseases affecting ginger crops.

The training session, hosted by the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) in partnership with Newport-Fersan Jamaica and supported by H&L Agro, brought farmers together at the Grants Bailey Tabernacle Church for an immersive learning experience. Participants were guided through practical ways to prevent and treat rhizome rot and also received key agricultural inputs, including fertilisers, to support their farming activities.

“Training sessions of this nature are critical to safeguarding Jamaica’s spice industry, particularly ginger, which has long been an important crop for many rural communities. Rhizome rot continues to threaten production across the island, so it is essential that farmers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to properly identify, prevent and treat the disease,” said Wayne Hunter, acting director general of JACRA.

Rhizome rot, sometimes called “soft rot”, is a disease that attacks ginger plants through the soil. Caused by pathogens such as Fusarium and nematodes, it can spread through infected planting material and lead to serious crop losses if not properly managed. The disease has posed a major challenge for ginger farmers across Jamaica over the years.

During the session, farmers learned about treatment options, proper application of fungicides and the importance of good agricultural practices in keeping the disease at bay.

For Glenroy Green, a ginger farmer with more than 20 years of experience, the training was both eye-opening and encouraging.

“Today was good. I learnt about the use of chemicals to help ginger farming. We didn’t usually use any chemicals. We usually depend on the rainfall and just plant naturally. So now we will use the chemicals and see,” he shared.

The impact of rhizome rot has been severe. Between 2015 and 2018, Jamaica’s ginger production fell by nearly half, largely due to the spread of the disease.

Howard Williams, senior agronomist at H&L Agro, stressed the importance of early prevention.

“Rhizome rot affects ginger production negatively and farmers stand a chance to lose a lot, if not all of their produce, if they do not use pre-treatment as a preventative measure. Our Ridomil and Kocide are essential fungicides that help in controlling rhizome rot, and this is what we recommend to farmers,” Williams shared.

Technical experts from Newport-Fersan also highlighted the role of proper fertiliser use in strengthening crop resilience and improving yields.

“Being knowledgeable about the products being used ensures optimal yields,” said Akeem Williams, technical sales consultant at Newport-Fersan Jamaica. “It’s one thing to use fertilisers, but it’s also important to make sure the right fertilisers are used at the right stages to help protect production.”

The session wrapped up with the distribution of farming packages to 29 farmers, each containing fertilisers and other agro-chemicals, to help them apply what they learned and strengthen their crops against the disease.