By: Fello Pérez, RAFI Puerto Rico Farmer Resources Coordinator
Caribbean weather seasons are influenced mostly by the interactions with the magnitude of the Atlantic Ocean High Pressures and wind direction patterns across the year. As a result of this interaction, the Caribbean region experiences a dry season that usually goes from December to early April, followed by a short wet season from late April to May. With the entrance of summer in June, precipitation usually drops and temperatures get very high. In August (July this year 2024) the incursion of tropical waves, storms, and hurricanes makes the rainy season rise up all the way to the month of November.
Monthly Climate Normal 1991-2020 Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
Long-term Caribbean farmers make their sowing plans based on this pattern to reduce the risk of losing their crops and their efforts to provide food all around the year. An example of a year-round sowing plan could be:
| Trimester | Crops and Activities |
|---|---|
| October, November, December | – Cutting weeds and grass from the pasture to regenerate it. – Sowing of plantains and bananas. – Sowing of other root crops that are considered heat intolerant (i.e. taro, yautia). |
| January, February, March | – Sowing of corn (so that it can be harvested before May). – Sowing of different varieties of beans and legumes. – Sowing of species from the Cucurbitaceae family. |
| April, May, June | – Sowing of ginger and turmeric. – Sowing of other root crops that are harvested in 6 months or more (i.e. cassava, yam, celery root). – Transplant of fruit trees. |
| July, August, September | – Sowing of ginger and turmeric. – Sowing of other root crops that are harvested in 6 months or more (i.e., cassava, yam, celery root). – Transplant of fruit trees. |
Farming is one of the activities that most closely connects humans to these climate-changing seasons. Given these connections, farmers have developed strategies based on where they farm, so they can thrive through varying weather conditions throughout the year. In the Caribbean, the impacts of hurricanes and extreme droughts have affected agriculture severely in the past years but there are always ways in which resilience has sprouted and has led to the continuity of providing food.
This planning exercise described above is just an example of what could help. Although it is recommended that each farmer develop their own plan, according to the exact region where the farm is situated. To accurately identify patterns and access other environmental characteristics of your farm’s exact location, you can access this tool. The report this tool creates will be a great complement to developing a sowing plan that best suits your region. It’s important to always consider the specific goals and objectives when selecting and cultivating crops. This ensures that the chosen crops align with the overall farming strategy and helps the farmers achieve their desired outcomes. Understanding these seasonality nuances is essential for successful agriculture in these Caribbean islands.