Jamaica to export hot pepper, dasheen to Trinidad

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica will soon be exporting hot pepper and dasheen to Trinidad and Tobago.

State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security Luther Buchanan says an agreement was reached at the Caribbean Community (Caricom) level for the export of the crops to the twin-island republic.

Addressing the St Ann Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show at the Noranda Bauxite Club in Discovery Bay, St Ann on Saturday, Buchanan said the agreement will be "a win-win" for both countries, particularly the Jamaican farmers.

He said the move is in keeping with efforts by the Government to increase exports to Caricom markets.

The state minister, in the meantime, commended the farmers of St. Ann for playing a major role in helping Jamaica to achieve its food security targets.

He said that the parish produced approximately 55,348 tonnes of domestic crops last year despite being adversely affected by one of the worst droughts that the country has ever experienced.

The state minister said, too, that the parish's farmers also contributed significantly to the country's achievement of over 90 per cent self-sufficiency in Irish potato production in 2014.

To read full article, click here: Jamaica to export hot pepper, dasheen to Trinidad

Taken from Jamaica Observer

FAO/IOE to get rid of sheep and goat plague by 2030

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE) Media Advisory is to launch a global PPR control and eradication campaign to get rid of sheep and goat plague, known in French as “peste des petits ruminants” (PPR) by 2030.

A statement issued by the FAO and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday said the conference will take place in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire from March 31 to April 2.

Goats and sheep plague in many countries are increasingly threatened by PPR, the statement added.

It said representatives from around 70 countries will be in attendance, and will include Ministers of States, OIE National Delegates; Dr José Graziano da Silva, the Director-General of the FAO, Dr Bernard Vallat, Director-General of OIE, donor agencies, the scientific community, the private sector and civil societies.

The conference will discuss and endorse the global control and eradication strategy that will launch the global PPR control and eradication campaign, aimed to eliminate the virus by 2030.

To read full article, click here: FAO/IOE to get rid of sheep and goat plague by 2030 

Taken from GhanaWeb

UWI to host International Breadfruit Conference

It was British and French explorers who brought the breadfruit tree from the South Pacific to the Caribbean during the late 18th century. As one of the highest-yielding food plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more, four-to-five pound nutritious fruits per season, experts consider it ideal for commercialisation.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) certainly believes so and is hosting, through its Faculty of Food and Agriculture, the International Breadfruit Conference at the St Augustine campus from July 5 to 10.

The 2015 International Breadfruit Conference, “Commercialising breadfruit for food and nutrition security”, aims to realise the potential of breadfruit to contribute to food and nutrition security through promoting entrepreneurial efforts and development of industries. The conference organising committee comprises of members the UWI as well as the Ministry of Food Production, PCS Nitrogen Trinidad Ltd, the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), said a media release from the UWI

Conference attendees will be part of an international forum sharing information on entrepreneurial, research and development activities to support increased utilisation of breadfruit and breadnut for food and nutrition security. Entrepreneurs in the food and agriculture sector, including rural communities, will be able to formulate solutions to address the key constraints to commercialising breadfruit and breadnut, the release stated.

Convenors Drs Laura B Roberts-Nkrumah and Majeed Mohammed plan to create opportunities for networking among the public and private sectors, rural communities and research institutions for the future development of these crops for food and nutrition security. They also hope to showcase these activities at a Breadfruit Festival, also scheduled to take place on the campus.

Anyone interested in submitting papers and presentations for consideration on the thematic areas of the conference must submit by the March 31 deadline.

Taken from Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

UAF establishes Farmer Facilitation Centre

The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has established a "Farmer Facilitation Centre" under which a helpline 080054726 and a website kissandost.pk have been launched in collaboration with National ICT R&D Fund. It was revealed at the conference on site specific and economical crop production technology and its dissemination through ICT held here on Thursday. 

UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while addressing the participants has said that FFC will provide the guidance to the farming community for best cropping system. He said that mobile phones, TVs, internet and other methods have gained immense importance, influencing the opinions of the people. 

The effective use of these technologies for agriculture purpose can help the country to uplift the agricultural sector. He also said the knowledge is generating with the large pace that must be communicated to the farmers. He said that imbalanced usage of input is costing the country million of the rupees. 

He said that in New Zealand, there are two agricultural universities for the population of four million people. Former Vice Chancellor UAF and Director Centre for Advanced Studies in Food Security and Agriculture Professor Dr Bashir Ahmad said that the world has increased the agricultural productivity manifold. He was of the view that the promotion of ICT in the agriculture sector is the need of the hour to compete with the world. 

He said that the food security is one of the major threats for the world amid climate changes and depleting water resources. Parliamentarian Makhdom Syed Alam said that the country is blessed with tremendous resources and talent. He said that the food security and less water resources are the real challenges. 

"We have to take extra measures to promote the modern technology and make them accessible for the farming community," he added. He said, "There is dire need to tap the potential and to make the efficient usage of the resources. ICT in agriculture will not only curtail the wastage of inputs etc but also fetch the money for the farming community." 

Taken from Business Recorder

Helping to feed the world through advancements in e-Agriculture

UN Agencies to publish strategy guide for implementing e-Agriculture services

03/03/2015 Bangkok, Thailand

 Guidelines to improve the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in agriculture – gains which could bring innovation in agricultural technology, ensure more efficient food production, mitigate food losses and attract a younger generation to become successful farmers – are close at hand, a forum co-convened by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) heard today.

“The applications of validated e-Agriculture processes will be a great addition to innovative agricultural production, attract young generation in agriculture and help safeguard farmers from losses, especially small holders,” said Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. “These applications could range from a farmer using a smart phone to scan the barcode of a packet of certified seeds – something that could ensure quality and a fair price, to the installation of low-cost sensors at the village-level for hyper local weather information.”

“The lack of available and correct information at the right time and in the right format is a major obstacle to many activities along the traditional agricultural value chain and this is something that e-Agriculture could help address efficiently,” Konuma added.

Konuma was speaking during the opening of an “e-Agriculture Stakeholders Consultation” which has drawn government officials and researchers, primarily from Asia, Africa and Near East to the three day event in the Thai capital.

While information and communication technology has seen rapid advancements and implementation around the world in the industrial sectors, many countries have been slow to exploit ICTs in agriculture. While some countries have implemented various ad-hoc ICT applications, there is presently no coherent international guidance on successful implementation. However, that’s about to change.  

The e-Agriculture Strategy guide is being developed jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.

The participants at the Bangkok consultation are discussing the finalization of the e-Agriculture Strategy Guide and its applications for national context.

“Countries have tried to implement e-Agriculture solutions in isolation,” Konuma pointed out. “This guide provides valuable guidelines and offers a template to implement sustainable e-Agriculture services.”

Concerns over food losses due to natural disasters, or lack of timely information during planting or harvesting, along with increased pressure for food traceability – all offer entry points for the application of proven ICT interventions in agriculture.

It’s anticipated that the new guidelines would be validated in Sri Lanka and Bhutan as pilot countries, and would be used at country level for the formulation of an e-Agriculture strategy in action plans for Asia and the Pacific region and beyond.

The e-Agriculture Stakeholders Consultation is co-convened by FAO, ITU and CTA – the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation.

Press Release from  Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Jamaica to import 200 goat embryos..

Some 200 goat embryos are to be purchased next fiscal year as part of a programme aimed at improving the breeding stock of small ruminants - sheep and goats.


Just over $56.6 million has been set aside in the Estimates of Expenditure to complete the procurement of the embryos for assisted breeding through embryo transfer and artificial insemination.
In addition to the purchase of the 200 goat embryos, the Government is to spend money importing 109 animals for local breeding.


Dwight Williams, deputy research director, livestock at Bodles Research Station in St Catherine told The Gleaner that the original project proposal was predicated on the importation of live animals from Australia. However, concerns about diseases prevented the importation of the live animals, thus paving the way for embryos.


"So far, 200 sheep embryos have been brought in," Williams said, while adding that the consultant is to do ultrasound on the animals before implantation.
"We have 100 animals in which we are going to implant the 200 embryos ... . We have brought in 200 sheep and we are to bring in 200 goats."


According to Williams, it is necessary to improve the breeding stock to not only prevent against diseases, but to maximise the returns on the investment.
"It is good to have native goats, and you may have your own native goats, but when you look at the amount of weight that they put on per day, it is very poor. So we need to improve those parametres. Instead of having an animal weighing 40 pounds when it is an adult, we try to get an animal that weighs 80 pounds," Williams said.


Last year, Jamaica procured 244 animals under the diversification of Caribbean Livestock project 150 ewes, 10 rams, 74 does and 10 bucks.
The agriculture ministry said breeding stock increased by 70 per cent within the current fiscal year, which ends in March. It said that the stock has improved to 406 animals inclusive of sheep and goats.


To read more, Jamaica to import 200 goat embryos


Taken from: The Gleaner

First-Ever Maryland Small Ruminant Expo Attracts Future Farmers

The expo was the place to be for anyone interested in starting a farm or becoming a sheep or goat producer. The all-day event taught adults and children different aspects of farming from raising livestock to writing business plans.

"A major struggle for beginning farmers is to get financial credit. A lot of people that have come to talk to us have asked for help with getting their business plan together and how to reach out to those lenders," said Hannah Shear, the beginning farmer program coordinator with the University of Maryland.

There are more than 180,000 acres of farmland in Frederick County, making it an ideal place for producing ruminants. Ruminants are animals that have a digestive system with four different compartments. They include sheep, goats, and cattle.

"Frederick is the number one dairy producing county in Maryland, so there are lots of pastures. It's a great place to do small ruminants," said Shear.

It wasn't just adults who came ready to learn, the youth program taught kids the basics of farming and how to care for the animals.


To read more and view attached video: First-Ever Maryland Small Ruminant Expo Attracts Future Farmers


Taken from: Your4State.com

Agriculture in Caribbean vital to economic growth, sustainable development, says UN official

27 February 2015 – The head of the United Nations agriculture agency underlined yesterday the huge importance of agriculture and farming to countries of the Caribbean during an address to Heads of Government at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit in the Bahamas.


“Strengthening agriculture and increasing support to small-scale and family farming will help ensure greater sufficiency in local food production, protecting your economies from external price shock,” the FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, told the audience, noting the need to meet challenges like climate challenges and to create jobs, particularly for youth.

Mr. Graziano da Silva described agriculture and family farming as “drivers of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development,” and noted how they can create new employment opportunities and be linked to the tourism industry, an important source of revenue for many Caribbean countries.He stressed also the substantial progress made through efforts made in the past two decades by CARICOM members to combat hunger and malnutrition, with Barbados, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname among the 70 developing countries to have already met the Millennium Development Goals hunger target of halving the proportion of hungry people by 2015.


To read more: Agriculture in Caribbean vital to economic growth, sustainable development, says UN official

Agriculture Ministers Tour Bamsi Development

The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Sciences Institute (BAMSI) is “well on its way” to sustaining the food demands of the country according to a delegation of agricultural ministers from CARICOM states.

Agricultural ministers from Jamaica, Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, Barbados, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines joined Bahamas agricultural and marine science minister, V Alfred Gray, and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) regional representative, Dr Deep Ford, on a comprehensive tour of the 800-acre Andros development yesterday.

Dr Ford called the multifaceted facility “the revitalisation of regional agriculture”, adding that the project illustrates the possibilities of food production by the Caribbean. The group was able to view BAMSI’s 12,000sqft administration building, $1.8m cafeteria, eight-room classroom block, female dormitory, an almost complete marine zone and thriving farming plots.

Dr Ford applauded the quality of vegetation being developed, asserting that crops being generated are “certainly” on par with international standards. “The development here should be praised,” he said.

“This entire facility shows what possibilities are obtainable if we continue to invest in the needs of our people. This goes to show that self-dependency in regards to food and adequate nutrition is possible in this region.”

He expressed his eagerness to see the compound operating at full capacity. “The expertise in agriculture, fisheries, plant production and cattle development is obvious. At this stage, you can identify exactly what is capable and work to enhance all of the projects here.”

Engineers on site yesterday confirmed that the facility is being constructed on schedule despite a number of setbacks. One source explained that portions of the site could be up and running by mid-April.

To read more, Agriculture Ministers Tour Bamsi Development

Taken from Tribune 242