Hope for drought-stricken farms

WESTERN BUREAU:

FarmLinkr CEO Shelly Heaven is confident that a locally developed soil technology can help to address the worsening water challenges in agriculture as it allows farmers to grow crops with up to 60 per cent less water.

Heaven said FarmLinkr, the distributor of Live Soil, a proprietary soil amendment, is preparing to make the product available to Jamaican farmers.

“Live Soil is a soil amendment that can be used to support the growing of crops with 60 per cent less water and can help your plants to not just stay alive during the drought but to thrive,” Heaven said.

She said the product was developed locally through a collaborative effort among scientists, students, and others who were seeking to address the recurring problem of crops dying during periods of drought.

“The key ingredient that gives Live Soil its water-retention properties is sourced from Jamaica although the product is currently manufactured overseas,” Heaven said.

Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the recently concluded 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, Heaven said the product had been tested at Cornell University’s soil laboratory for soil health and water retention and received a score of 95 per cent.

She also cited a field comparison conducted during the hot summer of 2025 in New York when temperatures reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

Heaven said crops treated with Live Soil survived after being watered once and began producing peppers, while the comparison crop without the product died.

She said the technology could be particularly useful in Jamaica, where a significant portion of arable land does not have irrigation.

Heaven said about 30 per cent of Jamaica’s arable land has irrigation, leaving the remaining 70 per cent largely dependent on rainfall.

“And so, it’s not just for the periods when we have droughts, but it’s for all of the areas where we have 70 per cent of arable land without irrigation,” she said.

Heaven said even farmers with irrigation could benefit during prolonged dry periods because crops can still suffer when rainfall is absent.

FarmLinkr is currently collecting expressions of interest from farmers and is capable of shipping containerloads of the product to Jamaica.

However, Heaven said the company must first satisfy the requirements of the relevant Jamaican authorities.

“We have the safety declaration sheet (SDS),” she said, adding that discussions are to be held with the Trade Board and other relevant agencies to determine the requirements for importing the product.

She said initial discussions have also begun with the Jamaica Agricultural Society while she had spoken with officials from the Agricultural Investment Corporation, and the Jamaica 4-H Clubs.

The product is already being used in Florida, New York, and other areas, Heaven said, adding that increased demand could eventually lead to local manufacturing.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com