Labour shortage in agriculture

Food Production Minister Senator Devant Maharaj is concerned about the general lack of interest by young people in agriculture and he says that issue, as well as labour shortages in the sector, must be addressed in the short and medium term.

Maharaj raised the issue in the feature address at launch of the Agriculture Now Training Unit’s (ATNU) Workforce Assessment Centre. The ceremony was held on Wednesday evening at the Ministry of Tertiary in Port-of-Spain.

Maharaj said T&T’s agricultural community was affected by a depleting workforce because farmers were getting older. 

He said the situation was so severe that some farmers had to bring in Guyanese labourers but they left as soon as they found other employment in T&T. 

Maharaj said one farmer paid $400 a day per worker to harvest peppers but those workers quit as soon as the dry season set in, refusing to work in warm outdoor conditions.  

“They rather work KFC or URP for $67.50 a day,” he said. 

Maharaj called for a change in the ethics and culture of work in T&T. He said a new generation of farmers must be found since people could not eat “concrete and plastic.”

However, he admitted, to make anything attractive to young people there must be a lot of money involved. He said there are many well organised farmers in the country who are earning high incomes that could support luxurious lifestyles.

Maharaj said the Food Production Ministry had launched a series of initiatives to get more young people involved in agriculture and is working on memorandums of understanding with Servol and the Youth Training Centre (YTC) aimed at vulnerable, at risk young people.

He said despite the challenges, the sector was growing and the food inflation rate had remained at single digits for the first six months of the year.

Taken from the Guardian Trinidad and Tobago

Innovation Centre, ICT thrust among key projects for Tobago

An innovation centre, a teaching university, a new market for Scarborough and the upgrade of all health centres in Tobago are among the plans for the next fiscal year that were unveiled during the Tobago House of Assembly’s budget presentation.

In his maiden budget presentation, which took close to three hours this morning, Finance Secretary Joel Jack said despite having to adjust their expenditure in light of oil prices, the THA was committed to implementing key projects to the island to reap the necessary benefits.

Among those projects he highlighted was the expansion of the Cove Industrial Park, which he said is open for business. A new factory building for new tenants as well as a waste and recycling plant are among the projects planned.

An animation centre and an innovation centre, scheduled to begin construction later this year are among the plans to boost entrepreneurship.

Focusing on ICT development on the island, Jack said there will be three main initiatives: the development of a website and mobile app to provide useful information such as a list of services, hotels and guest houses and the publication of wholesale and retail prices of produce;  training in app development in collaboration with the private sector; and the implementation of high speed Internet access across the island.

On the subject of tourism, Jack said the island will continue to pursue relationships with carriers to new destinations. He said there is a shortage of high end rooms on the island, stating that 1500 high end rooms are needed to improve the island’s attractiveness.

Security, said Jack, remains a concern and urged a security strategy that is specific to Tobago. He expressed disappointment in the discontinuation of the contracts to build police stations in Grange and Roxborough, stating that it constitutes yet another broken promise by the Central Government.

Among the other plans Jack revealed is the intention to market Tobago as a destination for affiliate university campuses. This, he said, will benefit tourism, contribute to increased sale of goods and services and boost the construction industry.

A committee will be established this coming fiscal year, he said, to explore this initiative further.

Jack revealed that revenue collection is projected at $255.05 million for fiscal 2016.

The budget is position at just over $5 billion dollars.

Taken from Looptt.com

Russia to help develop Jamaica agricultural sector

The Jamaica government says it will receive assistance from Russia in developing the agricultural sector and safeguarding the environment.

Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister, Phillip Paulwell, who is representing Jamaica at the 19th St Petersburg International Economic Forum in Moscow that ends today, said he has been having meetings with various representatives from the Russian government to strengthen cooperation in specialised areas.

“I held discussions with the Agriculture Minister (Alexander Tkachov). That discussion was very productive. The Minister has pledged to assist us (Jamaica) with restoring our mined-out (bauxite) lands to full productivity. He promised to share with us the latest in Russian technology and expressed hope that both livestock and food crops can be exported from Jamaica to Russia,” Paulwell said.

He said that coming out of talks with Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Sergei Donskoi, an agreement has been reached to provide support to the island on environmental issues.

“A lot was discussed. In the end, it was agreed that Russia would offer its assistance to Jamaica,” Paulwell said, adding that he is looking forward to the start of discussions at the forum, which is being held under the theme: ‘Time to Act: Shared Paths to Stability and Growth'.

The annual forum gathers the world's leading decision makers to identify and deliberate the key challenges facing emerging markets and growth economies, Russia and the world, and engage them in finding solutions.

It includes an Energy Summit where government representatives from several countries including Russia and Jamaica, chair of energy corporations or their senior executives, as well as industry experts, are expected to participate in debates, seminars, and country-specific round table discussions, for the exchange of ideas and insights on Global Energy and Development strategies.

Prior to the start of the forum, Paulwell also met with executives of Russian aluminium giant, United Company Rusal Alumina Ltd (UC Rusal), and several Jamaican students studying in the country, according to a statement issued by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).

Taken from Trinidad Express Newspaper

Union Agriculture Minister launches Nowcast and Insurance web-portals for farmers

The Mission Mode Project in Agriculture under NeGP-A aims to achieve rapid development of agriculture in India through the use of ICT by ensuring timely access to agriculture related information for the farmers of the country.


Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that a number of applications which have been completed and passed through all the required checks and audits are now ready for nationwide rollout. Few of the services we launched include Insurance Portal and Weather alert service NOWCAST. The Ministers of State for Agriculture, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan and Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya were also present on the occasion. Brief about the portals are as follows: The Mission Mode Project in Agriculture under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP-A) aims to achieve rapid development of agriculture in India through the use of ICT by ensuring timely access to agriculture related information for the farmers of the country.  Twelve clusters of services  including Information on inputs; Soil Health;  Good Agricultural Practices; Weather; Livestock, Fisheries: Marketing: Scheme Information; Training etc. have been identified and development of Web based applications on various components of these services is being undertaken before their roll out in the States with required local customization. Urgent need for an Insurance Portal enabling speedy processing farmers’ queries on Insurance and also their application for Agricultural Insurance cover has been felt in the wake of recent adverse weather conditions in some parts of the country and losses suffered by farmers due to their non-awareness about insuring their crops. As per the prevailing provisions Farmers can insure their crops under 3 schemes viz. National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS), Modified National Insurance Scheme (MNAIS) and Weather based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS).  Besides this, Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS) also is applicable in some parts of the country.  However, statistics of the year 2014-15 shows that only about 20% gross cropped area was insured.  Major reasons behind such low coverage inter alia include ignorance among farmers about insurance products & procedures and sometimes inordinately high rates as compared to NAU.  Both these factors often work in a vicious cycle to the detriment of farmers. Therefore, a beginning was made in the year 2012 by having an insurance calculator on the farmers’ portal (www.farmer.gov.in).  Unfortunately, not much headway could be made because very small time window existed in most States for data entry to be completed well in time before the cut-off date.  Therefore, a new web-based Portal (www.farmer.gov.in/insurance) has been developed to enter essential information under 3 major schemes viz. NAIS, MNAIS and WBCIS in an expeditious, accurate and non-repetitive manner.  An Insurance Calculator has also been provided along with graphical dashboards with drill down facility down to notified units. The farmers will be able to browse through   data-base of agriculture insurance companies to get details of various insurance schemes notified in their area and premium applicable to them. Facility for online entry of various provisions of insurance schemes notified in different districts by the insurance companies and the concerned states would minimize errors and facilitate quick response to online query raised by farmers on different aspects of the scheme. Detailed procedure has also been given on the home page of the Insurance Portal www.farmer.gov.in/insurance. In the second phase an online interface for filing insurance applications and scrutiny of the same by banks is also proposed to be developed. Information on weather and agro meteorological advisories are generated and disseminated by India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences through their website and also by their 130 Agro Met Field Units (AMFUs) operating across the country.  However, these advisories being generated in advance and cover a larger area, their accuracy always has a limitation due to local agro-ecological variations.  To tackle this situation IMD has set up 17 Doppler Radars which feed information into Weather Stations regarding extreme weather situations like thunderstorm, squall, hail etc.  146 of these Weather Stations are regularly generating data for these extreme situations.   However, these warnings relating to extreme weather situations generated by IMD are valid for a period of only 3 hours on their website.  Farmers in the affected areas (which lie within a radius of 50 Kms. from each of these 146 Weather Stations) could not get this information in time because of limitations in accessing the IMD Website at farm level. Therefore, an innovative initiative has been taken by DAC in the name of NOWCAST.  Under this initiative, the extreme weather data originated from IMD is being moved to mKisan portal using a web service. From mKisan Portal warnings regarding extreme weather conditions are automatically and instantaneously transmitted by SMS to farmers located in affected district/blocks.  This technological break-through is a collaborative effort between mKisan Portal developed by DAC, weather technologies adopted by IMD and GIS Portal of NIC. Advance Warnings issued so far are also displayed on the Web. 


Taken from India Infoline 

Import unskilled labour for agriculture

President of the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber Liaquat Ali, left, speaks with the group’s past presidents, Lilly Heerai and Nal Ramsingh, at a cocktail reception on Wednesday night. Photo: Shastri Boodan

President of the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber Liaquat Ali is suggesting T&T import unskilled labour from neighbouring Caribbean islands to boost the agricultural sector.
He said this is necessary since the majority of the local labour force is now certified with varying skills.
Speaking at a cocktail reception in celebration of the chamber’s 25th anniversary on Wednesday night, Ali noted that the collapse of oil and gas prices had forced a review of the 2014/2015 budget.
He said agriculture could become a growth sector for the economy, particularly because of its export capability with the added benefit of food security for the nation.
He said providing food security in an effort to curb the nation’s import bill is critical.
While Ali said he welcomed the emphasis government has placed on training, retooling and certifying people to improve themselves, this has meant there are fewer unskilled workers for the agricultural sector.
“To move the agricultural sector forward we need labour,” he said.
Ali said Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim is “doing an excellent job in training people in every aspect of skilled work, but the agriculture sector needs a lot of unskilled labour.”
He said: “Nobody wants to go into agriculture...nobody. Everybody leaving the university and leaving secondary school wants office and desk jobs. Nobody wants to cultivate the land or tend to animals.”
He noted that in comparison to the situation in agriculture locally, “in America the man planting the land is king. In T&T the man planting the land is dirt. We have to change that mindset, or we will continue to see a decline in this sector. We must be able to feed ourselves.”
Ali suggested that government develop an initiative similar to the Canadian Farm Work Programme, within Caricom.
“The government could be the facilitator and the private sector could drive the project. The chamber is willing to sit and discuss this issue with all stakeholders.”
He said 25 years ago when he and four other people sat in a roti shop and gave birth to the business association which evolved into the chamber, their views and opinions were not sought.
“But we have evolved, we have commanded our rightful place and we are now respected by all major stakeholders and participate in all of the national decision making process,” he said.

Taken from Trinidad and Tobago Guardian Online

Food should be a national security issue

NATIONAL consultation is needed now regarding the agriculture and fisheries sector in Trinidad and Tobago.

Yesterday, the Tableland Pineapple Farmers Association called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to host consultations on how the sectors should be improved.

Chairman of the Association, Ramash Ramsumair expressed disappointment.

On Monday, in observance of World Oceans Day, several people in both sectors had met with agricultural economist Omardath Maharaj to discuss the issues of the sargussum seaweed, underemployment and unemployment and the state of agriculture and fisheries in the south-eastern region.

Ramsumair said: “Several in the gathering were disappointed that the Prime Minister did not convene a national conversation on the sector. For many years, much lip service has been made on the importance of the sector and its far-reaching links to sustainable livelihoods, rural development, health, environment, economy, and overall food and nutrition security. “

In addressing attendees Maharaj said more education was needed.

He said: “In an area starved for development resources, employment and income generation opportunities, those with the power so to do should have already brought the necessary technical and other inputs to at least develop an operational plan with stakeholders.”

Maharaj said: “There is an identified public education gap on the usefulness of the seaweed - if any, the operation of equipment and vehicles on beaches, or even the possibility of the seaweed being an opportunity. It may trigger a cluster business development initiative, even if only at a micro-level, to provide some economic rent for its stay on our shores.”

Ramsumair said the food and nutrition security of the nation should be treated as a national security issue.

And he invited the public to the National Fruit Festival which takes place from June 26 to June 28 at the Nu Image Simplex, New Grant, Princes Town.

Taken from Trinidad Express Newspaper

Continuation, strengthening and establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the XII Plan

Continuation, strengthening and establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the XII Plan 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for continuation, strengthening and establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) with an outlay of Rs.3900 crore. The scheme envisages continuation of 642 KVKs established till date and establishment of 109 new KVKs in the XII Plan, to carry out its wide range of activities. 

The scheme includes initiation of new components namely ICT in agriculture, Farmer FIRST programme, creation of the Farm Innovation Fund, Disaster Management Fund, Technology Information Units, mini seed processing facilities, micro nutrient analysis facilities, solar panels, vKVK and KVK net, specialized KVKs and e-farmers; and extending existing components like Integrated Farming System, rain water harvesting structures, soil and water testing laboratories, minimal processing facilities, carp hatcheries to new KVKs, establishment of 16 new Agricultural Technology Information Centres (ATICs), Network Project on Expert System and New Extension Methodologies and Approaches. The scheme provides support to the Directorates of Extension Education (DEE) of State and Central Agricultural Universities. 

The scheme also proposes to enhance the number of Zonal Project Directorates to 11 from the existing eight and creation of one Post of Zonal Project Director and one post of Principal Scientist in each of the three new Zonal Project Directorates. 


Background: 

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), a unique model of frontline extension in agriculture, serve as a single window mechanism for addressing the technology needs of farmers with a multidisciplinary approach. KVKs function as knowledge and resource centre at district level and play a very important role in demonstration of Location Specific technologies. They are the links between research and extension and also with farmers, and support the initiative of public, private and voluntary sectors for improving the agricultural economy in a holistic manner. 

The KVKs lay strong emphasis on skill development training of rural youth, farm women and farmers, as also provide latest technological inputs like seeds, planting materials and bio-products. They continuously advise farmers on timely crop/enterprise related recommendations, including climate resilient technologies for enhancing their production and income levels. KVKs also diagnose and solve problems emerging from district agro-ecosystems and are perfectly located to lead adoption of innovations.


Taken from  Business Standard

Cabinet approves Rs 3,900 crore for Krishi Vigyan Kendras

New Delhi, June 17: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave its approval for the continuation and strengthening of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and setting up new ones with an outlay of Rs.3,900 crore. The scheme envisages continuation of 642 existing KVKs and establishing 109 new KVKs during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) to carry out a wide range of mandated activities.


The scheme includes initiation of new components, namely information and communication technology (ICT) in agriculture, Farmer FIRST programme, creation of farm innovation fund, disaster management fund and technology information units, an official release said on Wednesday. It also includes mini-seed processing facilities, micro nutrient analysis facilities, solar panels, vKVK (voice KVK) and KVK net and specialised KVKs.

The scheme includes extending existing components like integrated farming system, rainwater harvesting structures, soil and water testing laboratories, minimal processing facilities, establishing 16 new agricultural technology information centres (ATICs), network project on expert system and new extension methodologies and approaches. It provides support to directorates of extension education (DEE) of state and central agricultural universities. The scheme also proposes to enhance the number of zonal project directorates to 11 from eight. KVKs function as knowledge and resource centre at the district level and play a very important role in demonstration of location-specific technologies. They are the links between research and extension and also with farmers, and support the initiative of public, private and voluntary sectors for improving the agricultural economy in a holistic manner. The KVKs lay strong emphasis on skill development of rural youth and provide latest technological inputs like seeds, planting materials and bio-products.

AKVKs continuously advise farmers on timely crop/enterprise related recommendations, including climate resilient technologies and were perfectly located to lead adoption of innovations, the release added.

Taken from OneIndia.com

Bin Fahad participates in Ministers of Agricultural forum in Expo Milan 2015

Food security is a top priority in the UAE which recognises the urgent need to address current social and environmental challenge

Dubai: Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, took part in the Ministers agricultural forum featured in Expo Milan 2015 alongside ministers from other participant countries.

This year’s edition of the forum is being held under the slogan, “From Expo Milano 2015 and Beyond: Agriculture to Feed the Planet”, and is taking place from June 4 to 5, 2015. The UAE’s participation in the forum reflects its steadfast commitment to contribute to the global effort to establish sustainable development throughout the international community.

During the “Food Security and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)” session, Bin Fahad said food security is a top priority in the UAE which recognises the urgent need to address current social and environmental challenges.

He also noted that ICT is integral to the growth and development of the economy and that it plays a crucial role in encouraging innovation and new business opportunities in the field of food security and other vital sectors.

Bin Fahad also emphasised the need to establish, enhance and implement national strategies for smart agriculture, and the value of integrating ICT into rural development to support food security and address food shortage.

He encouraged parties in the agricultural sector to actively collaborate and exchange knowledge on the latest technological advancements and pioneering practices in the field. Moreover, he explained the importance of using ICT to help individuals, communities and countries effectively prevent and adapt to potential food crises.

The Ministry will hold a series of meetings at the UAE pavilion to discuss vital matters in relation to the nation’s economy, food and biological security, and its smart transformation. In addition, it will also outline initiatives that will soon be implemented in line with the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021.

Taken from Gulf News Economy 

National fruit festival on this month

Farmers and agriculture sector stakeholders were at the Nu Image Simplex Complex in New Grant yesterday to continue planning the TPFA's National Fruit Festival 2015 to be held on the 26th – 28th June. The discussions included several matters: the fruits of our land, your children, for whom we must continue to create safe, family and community-oriented social spaces for their own growth and development, present weather conditions and the availability and cost of planting material for the sector.

In her message to the nation, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar S.C. recognized that "gardeners in Trinidad and Tobago consider the day to be good for planting, as it is believed that anything planted on this day will thrive. Both farmers and first time planters try to get the best fruit and vegetable plants for this occasion." However, Agricultural Economist Omardath Maharaj discussed the difficulty and cost farmers face in accessing sufficient quantities of planting material. He said that this is critical in "saving the spirit of Corpus Christi in Trinidad and Tobago."

Maharaj pointed out that as lands are increasingly being made available and other factors change, any unplanned or uncoordinated thrust on the agriculture sector may actually put more pressure on headline inflation, which is primarily propelled by food price inflation. He explained that increased agrarian lands will create a stronger demand for planting material, among several other important factors including labour. Simply put, as demand for both increases; the cost of production will rise if not met by a sufficient increase in supply. He lamented the fact that the Ministry of Food Production should consult with proactive farming associations such as the TPFA in their planning processes.

Omardath Maharaj also linked the compromising availability and cost of planting material to increased taste and preferences for imported foods, our inability to meaningfully activate any import-substitution strategy, create sufficient surplus to maintain export and processing markets and a constraint to economic diversification.

On the religious Corpus Christi holiday, farmers either try to plant crops or families are in their backyard planting kitchen gardens or fruit trees, as per the local custom. It is a traditional Roman Catholic celebration to honour the Eucharist, or Holy Communion? the body and blood of Christ. Local tradition holds that because of this, it is therefore the most fertile day of the year for planting.

Taken from Trinidad Express Newspaper

MoEW calls for smart agriculture to address food security and shortage

DUBAI: Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, participated in the Ministers of Agricultural forum featured in Expo Milan 2015 alongside ministers from other participant countries. 

This year’s edition of the expo is being held under the slogan “From Expo Milano 2015 and Beyond: Agriculture to Feed the Planets” and is set to take place from June 4-5, 2015. The UAE’s participation in the forum reflects its steadfast commitment to contribute to the global effort to establish sustainable development throughout the international community.

During the “Food Security and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)” session, Dr Bin Fahad asserted how food security is a top priority in the UAE which recognises the urgent need to address current social and environmental challenges. 

He also noted that ICT is integral to the growth and development of the economy and that it plays a crucial role in encouraging innovation and new business opportunities in the field of food security and other vital sectors. 

Bin Fahad also emphasised the need to establish, enhance and implement national strategies for smart agriculture, and the value of integrating ICT in rural development to support food security and address food shortage. 

He encouraged parties in the agricultural sector to actively collaborate and exchange knowledge on the latest technological advancements and pioneering practices in the field. Moreover, he explained the importance of using ICT to help individuals, communities and countries effectively prevent and adapt to potential food crises. 

The Ministry will hold a series of meetings at the UAE pavilion to discuss vital matters in relation to the nation’s economy, food and biological security, and its smart transformation. In addition, it will also outline initiatives that will soon be implemented in line with the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021.

Taken from The Gulf Today.