KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is working closely with turmeric, ginger and pepper farmers to apply research from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress Jamaica Spices (JaSPICE) project to improve the quality of the crops.

RADA Director of Strategic Planning and Projects Vaughn Barnaby said the project is being implemented for five years and is now in its extension phase to transfer new knowledge to farmers.

“Extension occurs when we carry out that research and mobilize it with farmers. The authority is now working with the project, with the research that is being carried out to transfer that to the farmer for capacity development sessions. Those capacity-building sessions were the things that were most effective in the participating methodology, which we call ‘farmer field school,’” Barnaby said.

He added that as participants in the sessions, spice farmers meet with extension agents weekly.

“They are transmitting information from the selection of the growing site, the selection of planting material, the preparation of the land to the harvest and post-harvest management, and that now allows the farmer to have knowledge and development capacity at any stage of production “, said. he pointed out.

Through the “farmer field school,” farmers also receive education on how to identify plant diseases and use best intervention practices to protect their crops.

“We learn from our research… how to intervene and when is best for that intervention because each pathogen, depending on the life cycle of the pathogen, would have to intervene at a different time for their intervention to be most effective. “You can’t just go spray,” Barnaby said.

He further noted that research on disease management under the JaSPICE project is crucial to ensure that crops are ready for the market.

“When moving to post-harvest management, it is necessary to withdraw intervention to ensure that everything that reaches the market does not lead to pest management problems. Rhizome rot is our main problem with ginger; It makes ginger less productive and increasingly hostile in the market,” he said.

Research from the JaSPICE project is expected to generate significant economic benefits for the sector.

“With research interventions passed on to farmers, they are now more productive and getting more yield per acre. This means they can now make more profits and we are now talking about the sustainability of rural livelihoods. Extension is important in that,” Barnaby said.

-JIS