North Clarendon farmers face costly dry spell as St. Elizabeth ranchers report livestock theft

Farmers in two parishes are calling for urgent government support as drought and livestock crime strain rural agriculture.

In North Clarendon, producers say a prolonged dry spell is forcing them to spend thousands of dollars each week sourcing water to keep farms from failing. Green vegetables and yam vines may still cover the fields, but growers warn the foliage hides how difficult conditions have become.

One farmer described the situation as severe. "Rough rough. When we say rough water, no water at all. Everything burn down right now. Sweet potato right now. Right now we no good. Everything just a dry down." Others said crops have survived only because of costly pumping and manual spraying, with daily fuel bills now a routine burden. Several reported that at least two planting areas cannot be used because water is unavailable.

The hardship follows hurricane damage only months earlier that destroyed sweet potatoes, corn, string beans and other crops. One farmer recalled, "Hurricane come and have me blow down sweet potato corn string bean all and all and no I don't get nothing this that and nothing." Some growers want representatives to make better use of nearby natural water, noting that a stream runs through the area yet offers no practical supply. "You have a stream from up there come right down here and guess what know this stream we run we can't get no source of water from it."

In Gilnock, Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, cattle farmers are appealing to the authorities to tag animals more quickly to reduce predial larceny. The community was shaken after thieves struck in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Farmer Dennis Roberts said he watered his cows around 7:30 the previous evening, then received a call the next morning that they had been slaughtered at the roadside. He said two cows bought two to three months ago for $120,000 each from Wellington Farm—worth roughly $300,000 together—were among the animals taken. Roberts said five head were stolen from one location in a single night, part of a wider pattern that has included the theft of about 60 goats.

Roberts said untagged cattle cannot be sold, while thieves continue to butcher stolen animals. "And right now we have other cows right now where we can't even sell them because we can't get them tag over how much over here and add no tag. We cannot sell the code but the thief them a thief with animal and a butcher them and sell it and the farmer can't sell for them." He estimated losses exceeding $300,000 in one night and pleaded for assistance. "Me lose over 300,000 just one night. See and right now we have cope over there now and you can't get them tag over how much months now. So what is going to happen? What is happening in Jamaica? What we need to do? Somebody need to come out and assist."

Since late 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture has been working to clear a backlog in livestock tagging after Hurricane Melissa affected the ministry's central database office. Officials have said adequate supplies of tags are available to support cattle farmers.