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Efforts to safeguard farm records, associated documents, and receipts should be high on the agenda of farmers as Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica. This is according to the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), which is urging full-scale preparedness among agricultural stakeholders. Senior RADA Plant Health and Food Safety Officer, Francine Webb, told JIS News that safeguarding farm records is a critical step in post-hurricane recovery. “General farm readiness dictates that we back up our farm records and receipts as well. Similar to when we put our passports or birth certificates in sealed bags in a dry, secure area in the house, you want to make sure your farm records and your receipts are kept in plastic bags in a safe area, so that all that work that you did with documentation doesn’t go down the drain, and you’re quickly able to continue with that kind of operation,” she said. Hurricane Melissa is now a Category One system, is expected to continue intensifying, and is forecast to begin affecting the island over the weekend. Meanwhile, farmers are encouraged to ensure that first aid kits, flashlights, and batteries are readily available. “Charge up the power banks and the phones, because you’ll want to make sure that you’re able to get the alerts from the Met Service (Meteorological Service of Jamaica) and also from RADA so that you can act, based on the information that is coming out. So, staying connected is going to be important, and you want to remember to act early and secure what you can. Every step that you take now, helps in reducing damage and protecting your livelihood in a similar fashion to what you want to do for your family and your home,” Ms. Webb said. Before the onset of the hurricane, farmers should inspect roofs, pens, and fences to ensure there are no loose boards or leaks. A supply of medication, vitamins, and minerals required for animals should be stocked and properly stored. Spaces for small livestock, including chickens and rabbits, should be secured against flooding. Where possible, complete relocation indoors is preferred to improve their chances of survival. Ms. Webb also advised that generators should be tested prior to the hurricane to ensure power is available in the event of electricity supply disruptions. “Those of us who have generators, test them now and store enough fuel safely so they can be powered up if necessary. Another key thing is to keep disinfectant ready, so that once the event has passed, you can quickly sanitise to remove any form of contamination and allow our animals to get back to normal quickly. We also do not want a situation where animals are drinking flood water, because we are making the general assumption that these flood waters are contaminated,” she said.
