Farmers across the nation are transforming their operations to make their farms more resilient against climate change impacts such as reduced rainfall and droughts.
This is being made possible through the Climate-Resilient Water Sector in Grenada (G-CREWS) Challenge Fund for Agriculture (CFA), which currently provides farmers with water-efficient technologies such as micro-sprinklers, drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting systems.
To date, more than 69 farmers have received either drip irrigation, micro-sprinkler, rainwater harvesting systems or a combination of two (20 under the CFA, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the Grenada Development Bank (GDB).
The initiative is helping farmers better manage limited water resources, while sustaining production in the face of increasing climate variability.
For farmer Theresa Msacky, the introduction of water tanks and drip irrigation systems has transformed the way she manages her farm, making daily operations more efficient and less labour-intensive. She said, “It was difficult, taking a lot of time to irrigate by watering can or sometimes the hose and the storage I have for rainwater was so little. Now, I have 6 tanks, and this helps a lot by reducing my water bill and increasing my yield throughout the year.”
Another beneficiary Kimoney John received a tank and drip irrigation system. He said water storage challenges will be a thing of the past. “The water tank we got, can help us store water to sustain our chive beds during dry spells for more than a month. I would like to thank the G-CREWS project, along with the Ministry, for helping us out with the watering system. It makes farming much easier,” said John.
Andell Daniel is appreciative of the irrigation and rainwater-harvesting systems he received. According to him, he can now diversify his crop production. He said, “The water from the tanks is going to be used for watering seedlings and getting them on the market or in the land faster. I will now be able to supply myself with seedlings as well as the nation.”
Acting Chief Land Use Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and UNCCD National Focal Point Joseph Noel assured farmers that all who expressed interest in participating in the CFA will benefit before the project ends.
More micro sprinklers, drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting systems, as well as shade houses, are expected on the island in the first quarter of 2026. He said, “We’ve spent over EC$865,000 already, providing support to farmers with respect to’water tanks. We have a number of farmers down to receive support with shade houses. We’ll be bringing in a total of 94 shade houses, including small, medium and large.”
The G-CREWS project is jointly financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) under its International Climate Initiative (IKI), and the Government of Grenada (GoG).
GDB
