‘Drought’ could mean higher Christmas prices

FARMERS in Aranjuez, an area long hailed as one of the “food baskets” of the nation, have called for discussions and action to proactively address a potential “drought” forecast for the coming weeks.

This week the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) reported Trinidad is facing a drought watch in September, while Tobago and parts of north-eastern Trinidad could move into drought warning conditions in October. The TTMS said the agriculture sector faces an elevated risk to crops and livestock because of irregular rainfall, an increase in hot-spell days, and declining soil moisture.

During a visit to Aranjuez yesterday, a number of farmers were out in their fields under the noon-to-early afternoon sun, misting and flooding their fields to fight the soaring temperatures.