St. George’s, Grenada, 24 November, 2008_ The Ministry of Agriculture has embarked on activities geared at increasing livestock production in Grenada. Livestock production was one area identified in the recent Strategic Planning Retreat as requiring immediate attention. The Retreat also recommended that Carriacou be developed as a Centre of Excellence for the production of small ruminants.
As a result, Livestock Consultant in the Ministry of Agriculture
Mr. Pinnel Mwasha and Livestock Officer Mr. Nugent Bernard traveled to Carriacou today for a weeklong assignment with the Ministry of Carriacou and Petit Martinique Affairs.
Whilst in Carriacou the officers will:-
- Review a Project Document prepared by Caribbean Agricultural Development and Research Institute (CARDI) and the Inter -American Institute on Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) on the Establishment of a Viable and Sustainable Livestock Industry in Carriacou.
- Carry out practical training on small ruminant with farmers and find out possibility of initiating Small Ruminant Farmer Groups
- Identify sites where “Farmers Field Schools” could be launched for training farmers.
In an effort to develop the Poultry Industry, Poultry Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Derek Thomas will also travel to Carriacou on Wednesday to conduct training with Poultry farmers on all aspects of Poultry Rearing/Production.
As it relates to food crops, two officers from the Agricultural Division of the Ministry of Carriacou and Petit Martinique Affairs are currently on assignment to the Mirabeau Agricultural Station. They are being exposed to all aspects of plant propagation which would sharpen their skills to enable them to undertake the relevant tasks required to recommence a nursery in Carriacou.
The propagating of adequate quantities of seedlings for utilization by the farming community has been identified as one area needing immediate attention. That has been taken very seriously by the Ministry and every effort is being made to ensure that a wide variety of seedlings are available to farmers and the general public at the commencement of the planting season in June 2009.
