CORAL SPRING, Trelawny — With a grim outlook for the farming sector amid extended drought conditions, help could be around the corner with the introduction of a groundbreaking technology that its distributor says could enable farmers to grow crops using significantly less water.

FarmLinkr CEO and founder Shelly Heaven says LiveSoil, a soil amendment, can support crop production with up to 60 per cent less water while helping plants withstand dry conditions.

Heaven introduced the technology to regional agriculture ministers on Monday during the plenary session, ‘Transforming Regional Food Systems, a case for accelerating Vision 25 by 2025 + 5” during the 20th staging of Caricom’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA). The event, which is being held at Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny from September 27 to October 2, has attracted about 800 participants from 40 countries.

Speaking with reporters after her presentation, Heaven said LiveSoil was developed in Jamaica by a Jamaican, although it is currently manufactured overseas.

She said the product has undergone testing for soil health and water retention, including at Cornell University’s Soil Health Laboratory.

“[It scored] an amazing 95 per cent from that test! That’s one of the highest they have out there,” she said.

Heaven also cited a Cornell University trial conducted during New York’s hot summer of 2025, in which she said crops treated with LiveSoil survived after receiving one watering.

“The LiveSoil thrived and started growing peppers, while the other crop completely died, as what would normally happen,” she said.

According to Heaven, the technology works by retaining moisture and nutrients around the root zone, allowing plants to make more efficient use of available water.

She said the potential benefit is particularly significant in Jamaica, where data presented during the conference indicated that only about 30 per cent of the country’s arable land has irrigation.

Heaven said expanding irrigation coverage would require substantial investment and time, making water-efficient technologies an important potential tool for farmers.

“It costs billions of dollars to put the irrigation systems in place, so you know it’s not going to be a quick process. This product is here now. It’s ready. We need to get as many farmers using it as quickly as possible,” she said.

Heaven explained that LiveSoil has been in use for about seven years, during which it has been refined and production stabilised to ensure consistency before commercialisation.

“When you just invent something, you have to go through processes to stabilise the production. You have to be able to get the exact same product every single time. That’s what commercialisation means,” she stressed.

She said FarmLinkr is now capable of supplying the product commercially in container quantities, depending on demand, and is collecting expressions of interest through its website and social media platforms.

Heaven said the technology emerged from a collaborative effort involving scientists, students and others seeking a solution to crop loss associated with water shortage.

“It was developed in Jamaica by a Jamaican, because they were trying to solve the drought problem,” she said, while stressing that the invention was the result of a team effort.

Manufacturing is currently taking place overseas because the Jamaican inventor now lives abroad, she said. Heaven noted that the key ingredient is sourced from Jamaica and expressed hope that manufacturing could eventually be established locally as demand increases.

FarmLinkr has begun discussions with Jamaican and regional agricultural stakeholders following the product’s introduction at CWA. Heaven said she has met with the head of the Agro-Investment Corporation and representatives of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs.

“We’re planning to have follow-on discussions with them following the conference to work out how we can collaborate together to get the product out there to as many farmers as possible,” she said.

Heaven said LiveSoil is already being used in Florida, New York and other locations, and FarmLinkr is now working to expand access to the technology in Jamaica. The company is also consulting with the Trade Board and other relevant authorities to determine the requirements for importing the product into the country, she said.