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of our project. We continue to be grateful to the stakeholders Top Hill / Banton Town Farmer’s Benevolent Society, St.
and to the Almighty. Elizabeth - Drip Irrigation Project
Farmer 1: The Rural Economic Benevolent Initiative (REDI)
under JSIF has improved the standard of living of the members
of the society tremendously. We moved from bucket in hand to
drip irrigation. I can sit back and just turn on my Drip System
and my crops are ready to go. This has helped me in all
aspects of my life, its less time consuming, and less money for
workmen. My health has improved; with no more pain in the
arms from bucket lifting and watering. My yields have doubled
and sometimes tripled, likewise the other Farmers. Production
is also booming.
Farmer, Oswald Boothe, tends his crops in a greenhouse. Since this program I am more financially stable. We as Farmers
are now more educated due to the training and monitoring we
South St. Elizabeth Farmers from the communities of Ballards received. Loss of crops has now been minimized. The Drip
Valley, Top Hill, Tryall, Ridge / Red Bank, Essex Valley & Irrigation System is the most valuable gift to me and farmers
Flagaman - Drip Irrigation Project in the society.
Speaking on behalf of myself and fellow farmers of South St Thanks a million to JSIF and REDI. Especially to Vincent
Elizabeth, I am excited to express how grateful we are for the Thompson, Nicolene Witter and the drivers, without your
grant of Drip irrigation Kits, water storage tanks and harvesting valuable contribution we wouldn’t be so proud to be productive
crates we received from the JSIF-REDI project. I must admit that farmers.
this is one of the most outstanding items ever presented to our
farmers. It has created tremendous benefits and has changed Farmer 2: As beneficiaries of the Drip Irrigation System all the
the whole dynamics of modern day farming in the area. Gone members around are enjoying the sweetness of the programme,
are the days when farmers with buckets in hand and with the glory to JSIF. It’s the best thing that ever happened in our lives.
use of a cup would water individual plants over long hours. JSIF made us have something; more money to spend, and
Never before could one farmer manage to water thousands more money circulating in the community. It makes farming
of plants within a short time span. The cost savings is much easier and everyone has more time to rest. It makes
tremendous in terms of water costs due to the increased water crops grow very well. Crops that we always lose out on, we are
storage capacity of the tanks. In addition, we are experiencing enjoying success from them now. “Away with the bucket pan
greater yields with the use of liquid and soluble fertilizers and the pain a back”.
applied through the drip instead of dry blend fertilizers which
is destroyed by the sun and lost to the plants. And lastly, our Life is better. Thanks, JSIF
backs are saved as the constant bending to fertilize individual
plants is no more but a thing of the past.
Tomatoes being irrigated by drip line in Ballards Valley. Onions being grown in an open field with the aid of drip irrigation.
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