JACRA supporting coffee resuscitation efforts following drought, bushfire losses

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) spearheaded a coffee farm resuscitation and replacement planting exercise last week in Higgin Town, St Ann. The Authority distributed and planted more than 200 coffee seedlings on the Winefield property of Kenneth Black, a veteran coffee farmer with over 40 years of experience in the industry. The initiative forms part of JACRA’s response to the growing needs of farmers who have experienced significant declines in coffee production across the High Mountain coffee-producing regions, particularly as a result of severe droughts and extensive bushfires. The exercise was carried out by six JACRA technical officers, alongside representatives from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in Claremont, St Ann. For Black, the intervention offers renewed hope for his farm, which has been severely affected by the prevailing challenges facing coffee farmers in the region. “I am grateful for the help from JACRA, because the drought and bushfires has left most of the coffee berries burnt on the trees so production is really low. I didn’t have any production last year, so this replanting will at least help to resuscitate the farm,” Black explained. JACRA Extension Officer Kadane Grant explained that the authority intends to continue its farm resuscitation efforts across the Blue Mountain and High Mountain coffee-producing regions in response to farmers’ requests for assistance. “Mr Black had reached out to us for some assistance regarding resuscitation work, and so we are here today. It’s a wonderful initiative and the farmers are very much receptive of this activity. We did the first leg in January and now, we are on the second leg,” he said. The resuscitation exercise incorporated several farm rehabilitation activities designed to improve the health, density and productive capacity of the farm. These included cutting back and pruning coffee trees to encourage growth and improve spacing, selecting healthy shoots, and supplying replacement plants. Lisa Rose, RADA extension officer for the Claremont area, noted that coffee farming has been declining in the area, with many farmers shifting their focus to other agricultural commodities. She also identified Black as one of the area's most senior coffee farmers. “Today’s field visit is good encouragement. Most coffee farmers down this side are getting out of the industry due to pricing issues among other challenges. The farmers are more interested at this point in spices farming; that’s ginger, pimento and that sort of thing, so its good that we have assistance coming in for the coffee farmers who are left,” said Rose. Recognising the difficulties facing farmers and the growing concerns surrounding the sustainability of coffee production in affected communities, Gerald Bryan, head of spices at JACRA, encouraged farmers to remain hopeful, reaffirming the authority’s commitment to providing practical support to the sector.