Drought dries up backyard farms

The long-standing tradition of backyard farming in rural Jamaica is coming under pressure as drought conditions scorch household gardens, forcing families to buy provisions they would normally harvest for themselves.

For generations, backyard farming has helped rural families supplement their food supply, cut grocery bills and, in some cases, earn extra income from surplus produce.

But the prolonged dry spell has disrupted that practice, leaving some households in Guys Hill, St Catherine struggling to absorb the added cost of putting food on the table.

For Springfield resident Simon Cox, who typically grows a mix of crops to feed his family, the drought has devastated much of his backyard garden.

“The drought affect me wicked, because now I have to find money to spend in the market and, coming up to back to school, that money would help with purchasing back-to-school supplies,” Cox told The Gleaner.

Cox cultivates yam, dasheen, cabbage, tomatoes and pumpkin and said that, under normal conditions, his backyard farm provides enough food for his family of three, with some produce left over to sell at the market.

But, with the crops damaged by drought, he said, household spending on food has risen sharply.

“Right now, I don’t have the backyard provision to back up my income,. Before the drought, I would spend somewhere in the region of $20,000 per month to buy meat kind, but now I have to find $60,000 to buy meat and ground provisions,” he disclosed.

Cox also usually plants sorrel for household consumption, but that crop has also suffered.

He said that, even if rain falls now, it would be too late to produce the harvest he would normally expect, meaning his family could also lose its annual supply of homemade sorrel drink.

Another Guys Hill resident, Donneth Hemans, has also seen her backyard farm ravaged by the dry conditions.

Hemans, who cultivates a range of provisions, said the sweet potatoes and tomatoes she planted were burnt up by the drought, leaving her with nothing to take to her kitchen.

“Right now, I have to put out more money to buy the food that, under normal conditions, I would be able to reap and save money to buy fertiliser and seeds,” she revealed.

Hemans said the loss of her backyard produce means she now has to find an additional $8,000 each week to purchase food she would normally harvest herself.

“This is taking a toll on me because I have my three grandchildren and a father who has cancer to care for,” said Hemans.

For Denville Knight, who operates a larger farm while maintaining a backyard plot for household use, the drought has also created an unexpected financial burden.

The backyard farm, he said, has long supplied ground provisions for his family of three.

“Now with this drought burning up crops like sweet potatoes and tomatoes especially, I have to buy these provisions at the market,” Knight said.

He estimates that he now spends an additional $15,000 each week to purchase ground provisions he would normally harvest from his backyard.

“It is difficult for me to come up the additional money to buy these provisions at the market and still hold on,” he stated.

The farmers say their situation is made even more frustrating by the fact that, in some cases, they live close to springs and other potential water sources but cannot afford the pumps and equipment needed to access the water.

For them, backyard farming is more than a tradition. It is an important way to reduce household food bills, supplement family income, and ensure a steady supply of basic provisions.

They said the government should develop a plan to help them.

ruddy.mathison@gleanerjm.com