RADA urges livestock farmers to keep storing water as El Niño holds

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is pressing livestock producers to keep water storage and conservation at the top of their plans while El Niño remains in place.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects that El Niño will intensify through the close of 2026 and puts the odds at 97 per cent that the pattern will last into early spring 2027. Jamaica is already seeing warmer-than-usual temperatures and less rain, conditions that can harm livestock unless farmers act early.

Maxine Brown, Senior Livestock Specialist at RADA, described drought as a “slow onset disaster”.

“Meaning that you have time to put measures in place to prevent some of the deleterious effects of it. We have to start mitigating… not reacting to it. It is going to be difficult when you’re in a drought situation to say that is a time that you’re going to start collecting water,” she said.

In an interview with JIS News, Ms. Brown warned that dry spells leave forages — the plants animals rely on for feed — withered. Pressure can then rise for emergency culling of stock that cannot keep pace with the rest of the herd, an outcome she linked to weak record keeping and insufficient attention to animal welfare.

“When drought is coming, we know that water [is the priority]. So, what are we doing about water? When we were having the rains, were we catching it? Were we storing it up at that time? Because you have to plan for the dry season in the rainy season. So, when you have the rains, ensure you are catching up your water, and you have abundance of forages, you can start to make your silage. You can, when we have some dry periods in-between, use that time to do your hay as well,” Ms. Brown said.

She advised owners to fit gutters so more rainfall can be captured, and to have drums on hand for collecting, treating and holding water.

“If you are using rainwater, you will need to add treatment to the water. I know the Government too has been pushing a lot of ponds. So, if you’re not using the tank, you can start to dig your pond so that it’s collecting the rainwater and you have excess water during the dry period,” she said.

Livestock keepers seeking guidance or technical help are asked to contact the RADA office in their parish or telephone 876-977-1158.