For years, Corpus Christi has been regarded as the ideal time for farmers and home gardeners to plant crops. It is believed that anything planted on the day will thrive, thanks to the anticipated rains. However, this year there was a noticeable decline in planting activity, raising concerns among agricultural enthusiasts.
Along the M2 Ring Road yesterday, very few farmers were out tending to crops in the undulating agricultural fields. Farmer Glenford Ramnarine said only a handful of people planted at Poodai Lagoon on the Penal Rock Road.
“Maybe they are watching the weather. We have not had the level of rain we normally have at this time of the year,” Ramnarine said. He added that people have been planting year-round and have not been waiting for the Corpus Christi holiday to plant.
At the M2-Ring Road, Shawn Henry attributed the decreased activity to the dry condition of the land.
“You see how everybody’s land is nicely ploughed up? Well, they are waiting for the rains to come, and then people will plant,” he explained as he moulded some melongene trees.
Rebecca, a home gardener from Claxton Bay, said she was abstaining from planting this year because of the prevalence of Giant African snails.
“I usually plant for the holiday, but this year, I have not been motivated because the African snails are killing everything,” she said.
She said she used snail bait and neem oil and spent $1,300 on her last crop but reaped nothing.
Determined to combat the problem, she said, “For now, I am on a snail eradication and prevention programme.”
Dianand Ganessingh, another farmer, highlighted evolving farming techniques and departure from traditional methods as a possible explanation for the decline in Corpus Christi planting.
The shift toward hydroponics, the nutrient film technique (NFT), and drip-to-waste techniques, especially among home gardeners, eliminated the constraints associated with traditional practices, he explained.
Commercial farmers are more likely to continue the tradition, said Ganessingh.
Meanwhile, agronomist Akanath Singh, owner of the Plant Diagnostic Clinic, shared his observation that gardening has experienced a surge since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Singh said people are no longer waiting exclusively for Corpus Christi to plant, but are involved in year-round cultivation.
“People have been planting for the past two years because the COVID-19 pandemic displaced many families. People lost jobs, businesses lost sales, so there has been a spike in first-time home farmers and gardeners. It is good to see so many families getting into agricultural production, planting what they eat and getting into agriculture as a business,” he said.
Singh said more than 500 people with whom he interacted first-hand have turned to farming as a means of sustenance and income.
In addition to cultivation, several churches conducted the traditional ritual of blessing seeds following Corpus Christi Mass. Singh said he was proud that so many people are continuing to plant, not only on Corpus Christi, but year-round.
