The Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (DOA) is urging farmers to practice water and soil conservation practices, the benefits of which are increased yields per unit of land, better production per unit of labor and improved reliability of yields. DOA encourages farmers to utilize its Conservation and Forestry programs or contact UVI’s Cooperative Extension Service (UVI-CES) for more assistance.
As an update, Department of Agriculture St. Croix will be suspending its Soil Giveaway Program beginning Monday, June 15, until further notice.
Additionally, due to the overwhelming demand on the Virgin Islands water systems, the DOA St. Croix campus will be implementing and enforcing the following water schedule and policies beginning on Monday, June 15:
- Water Tanks at the Rudolph Shulterbrandt Agricultural Complex
- Tuesday and Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to noon
- Community Gardens
- Tuesday and Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Farmers must have a water pass.
- Farmers will be restricted to a limit of 500 gallons per day.
- Water facilities will be closed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
In the St. Thomas District, farmers are reminded that taps on existing water systems are illegal and will be removed at the department’s discretion. Please do not modify or change the direction of water flow without prior authorization.
For more information, contact the St. Croix Department of Agriculture at 778-0997 or the St. Thomas Department of Agriculture at 774-5182. Finally, consider reading the Food and Agriculture Organization’s document on the best conservation practices at: https://bit.ly/2ASb2mV
