Increase water harvesting, solar use to boost farming - bauxite company official

Jamaica must increase water harvesting and make use of solar energy if the country’s agricultural sector is to perform at the level stakeholders wish to see, a bauxite official has warned the ministry of Agriculture.

Kent Skyers, community relations superintendent at Discovery Bauxite in St Ann, was speaking recently at the ninth annual agricultural, industrial and food show put on by the St Ann Association of Branch Societies and the Jamaica Agricultural Society, at the Port Rhoades Sports Complex.

“Mr Minister, if agriculture is to do well, we must increase water harvesting, we must use solar power to shift the water to farmers and we must use solar energy to have cold storage facilities,” Skyers said at the show’s opening on Friday.

He spoke directly to agriculture and fisheries minister Pearnel Charles Jr, who was also on the platform.

Skyers underscored that Discovery Bauxite, similar to its predecessor, Noranda Bauxite, has been supporting the agricultural sector by serving farmers in the company’s operational areas, for several years.

“Bauxite and agriculture are partners,” Skyers stated. “When you look in Jamaica, our parishes that have bauxite companies are the leading producers. You talk about Manchester, St Elizabeth, St Ann and Clarendon, these are the leading parishes in agriculture.

“At Discovery Bauxite we are a mining company but we always support farmers in our communities and that is why we’re one of the leading parishes in greenhouse technology; we also have an aquaponic location in the Higgins Land area.”

Greenhouse technology allows farmers to produce when they want. We’re championing that but also, we’re using the mined-out pit to hold water.”

The company has successfully implemented the use of restored mined-out land for farming, with farmers in areas such as Water Valley, reaping high quality produce. Restored mined-out lands are also used for housing, community development, and recreation.

Skyers said the company is also now engaging in a castor bean project.