Above: St Peter in Barbados (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Local farmers in Barbados must continue to invest in low-cost agricultural technology both for affordability and sustainability, according to Ralph Farnum, chief agricultural officer in the country’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The Ministry is “actively” pursuing the use of new farming technology, according to Farnum, which involves “row covers.”

“This row cover technology is low-cost,” he said. “We had on trial about four crops so far, and with the same row covers, you got about five times the production compared to growing such crops in the open field.”

By increasing crop quality, farmers could fetch better returns on the market and be able to reinvest those funds in even newer technologies.

Tropical row covers are protective materials used to shield crops from harsh elements including cold, wind and damage from insects.

They also reduce the incidence of moisture, which can attract pests and cause diseases.

“What we are really doing here is producing a microclimate within the crop shield,” he said. “A greenhouse does that as well. It produces an area where there is no direct rainfall, where the wind is reduced and light is also decreased. Basically, you are setting up a microclimate that suits the crop you are growing.”

The region has increasingly been looking to apply technology in agriculture, with Grenada the latest Caribbean country to bring the issue to the forefront.

Barbados has been exploring row cover technology for some time, beginning last year with a pilot project involving hot peppers.