In the new year, plant some more!

I am sure many of us are breathing a sigh of relief as 2020 ends! The year 2020 has definitely proven to us that we should expect the unexpected. Nothing in life is certain hence we must always keep God first.

One key message to take away from this past year is the utmost importance of agriculture and the need for us to have food security.

My motto has always been and still is, that for us to achieve sustainability as a country, we must give priority to food security. With this being said, we must continue to prioritise our kitchen gardens, educate ourselves on new agricultural techniques and support our local farmers.

The Trinidad & Tobago Meteorological Service (MET Office) has released their Rainfall and Temperature Outlook for 2021. It is predicted that there are high chances for wetter than usual conditions with above-normal rainfall accumulated totals during December 2020 to February 2021 and an 80 per cent chance exists for at least one seven-day wet spell during January and February 2021.

The 2021 dry season (January to May 2021) should be wetter than average for all of Trinidad and Tobago with accumulated rainfall totals being above average. However, there is likely to be many sunny days with typical dry season weather, including visitation of typical dust haze events.

A dry-day is defined as a day with less than 1.0 mm of rainfall. There is the anticipation of a total of 90 dry days in the 2021 dry season with several dry spells and hot-spells as April and May approaches.

Existing La Niña conditions are likely to last into the 2021 local dry season and this influences the wetter than usual local conditions significantly. El Niño is a term for the warming phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a cyclical weather pattern that influences temperature and rainfall.

El Niño impacts weather systems around the globe, triggering predictable disruptions in temperature, rainfall, and winds.

La Niña is the opposite which is a cooling phase of ENSO that tends to have global climate impacts opposite to those of El Niño.

With the weather outlook for 2021, we can begin planning our crop growth cycles. I want to wish all my Green Thumb readers a Merry Christmas and a bright and prosperous 2021! I pray that the Lord guides your every step into the new year and fill the days ahead with peace, love and happiness.

Send questions to rayannaboodram@hotmail.com.