Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda.
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda has welcomed the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO’s) focus on climate change, agriculture and food security at its 40th Session of the FAO Conference now underway in Rome, Italy.
Minister Samuda, who was delivering an address to the Conference in Rome on Wednesday, said it is important that the organization continues to pursue climate change adaptation strategies for agriculture.
The Agriculture Minister said small island developing states, such as Jamaica, continue to be hit with prolonged droughts, frequent intense rainfall, flooding and hurricanes.
“For Jamaica climate change is not a fiction, but a reality we live with daily,” said Minister Samuda.
Minister Samuda told the assembly that Jamaica is moving to build resilience by intensifying efforts to establish agricultural insurance schemes and implementing drought resistant measures such as water harvesting and storage.
He said the government is moving to expand areas with access to irrigation as currently only 12,500 hectares of the approximately 187,800 irrigable hectares of land in Jamaica is irrigated.
“Furthermore, we are incorporating climate change adaptation strategies and methods in every aspect of agricultural planning and production,” said Minister Samuda.
Minister Samuda also acknowledged the role of the Conference in shaping a global agenda for agriculture aligned with sustainable development goals set in Agenda 2030 and restated Jamaica’s commitment to these goals and the work of the FAO.
