moving agriculture sector forward.....

[mamoo_pagal]

ok so where I work agri-science was rescently introduced as a CSEC option. However in the beginning, the mindset to that area was very negative as the students as well as their parents see it as a "degrading" field of study. We tried to work around this by marketing the subject differently and now we have a few students who take it seriously. Still however, that field of study has a stigma attached to it that discourages persons from pursuing it and it is usually used as a dumping ground for difficult students. This is coupled by the fact that "prestige schools" refuse to offer these "types" of subjects and schools that do are viewed as having weak/slow students. As far as I see it a sesitization movement has to take place throughout the school system to properly educate the importance of such a field of study as it is vital to any country. If you really want to get people into this area you have to market it in such a way it is seen in the same light as studying medicine or engineering ect. It is simply how you sell the idea to motivate students to pursue it. The students who like the area take it very seriously but where do they go to further their studies in this field after CSEC? What options are there at the CAPE level?? Does UWI accept this science as acceptable to enter Natural Sciences?

There is no clear path for this field of study and that makes it a risk to pursue. Show and convince students of the opportunites avaliable if they take this area seriously and more will consider it.

[geodude]

With regards to making an educational effort in the farming sector what needs to be pushed to the masses is the idea that farming needs to be looked as a business, a commercial enterprise,
the days of "chooking something into the ground" and "trying ah ting" are over, if ppl are made to see that farming is a real business and it is treated as such the stigma of farming is "ah bush man ting" will quick evaporate,

i will say that i recently be came a registered farmer and this idea ( that times have changed and before entering farming one must clearly define his goals for this business venture, and the usage of proper accounting techniques etc,) was stressed by all the personnel that i met at the agricultural office.
Also the new updated handbook of incentives to farmers was a pleasant read and there seems to be numerous subsidies which should provide valuable assistance to farmers, this along with the knowledge base at the agricultural office and the services they provide, eg site visits when requested, designated days that you can visit the office and have a sit down with them and discuss future plans or current problems etc, all have me optimistic as i embark on this mew enterprise, i have not made a claim as yet for reimbursements, so cannot comment on the efficiency of this process, but again from what i saw i believe that the services currently provided are much better than the masses believe and that many ppl do not actually know they exist.

So another suggestion of mine would be that this drive you wish to start be done in conjunction with the relevant ministry so as to educate ppl on what is available and how to make proper use of the the assistance that is there.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

in that case,in our future seminars,we plan to have success stories from those who did it big in the industry...we also plan to highlight to the students that small farmers can do it as well...

and yes there are several options offered at U.W.I students can do a mixture of subjects at CAPE level....there are disciplines dealing with the business aspects of agriculture as well as the practical aspects of agriculture...

and to top it off we solely blame parents today as well as other high society people for the state of the agriculture industry..every1 wants to became lawyers,doctors,pilots and little do they know they all have one thing in common..they must eat to survive...they all figure that vegetables come from the supermarkets...

so lets say we start in central...we would be going highlighting all positive aspects of the industry from the primary schools go up...

[shake d livin wake d dead]

With regards to making an educational effort in the farming sector what needs to be pushed to the masses is the idea that farming needs to be looked as a business, a commercial enterprise,
the days of "chooking something into the ground" and "trying ah ting" are over, if ppl are made to see that farming is a real business and it is treated as such the stigma of farming is "ah bush man ting" will quick evaporate,

i will say that i recently be came a registered farmer and this idea ( that times have changed and before entering farming one must clearly define his goals for this business venture, and the usage of proper accounting techniques etc,) was stressed by all the personnel that i met at the agricultural office.
Also the new updated handbook of incentives to farmers was a pleasant read and there seems to be numerous subsidies which should provide valuable assistance to farmers, this along with the knowledge base at the agricultural office and the services they provide, eg site visits when requested, designated days that you can visit the office and have a sit down with them and discuss future plans or current problems etc, all have me optimistic as i embark on this mew enterprise, i have not made a claim as yet for reimbursements, so cannot comment on the efficiency of this process, but again from what i saw i believe that the services currently provided are much better than the masses believe and that many ppl do not actually know they exist.

So another suggestion of mine would be that this drive you wish to start be done in conjunction with the relevant ministry so as to educate ppl on what is available and how to make proper use of the the assistance that is there.

we are working hand in hand with all relevant authorities,businesses,CEOs etc etc, our group consists of a highly educated group with different passions for the industry..

[nervewrecker]

When I proposed bringing grey water systems on stream & using the recycled water for various purposes people laugh. Look at how much water is used on a daily basis & how much of that needs to be plugged into irrigation. Save water, save taxpayers $$$. Provide incentives like tax breaks & subsidised prices to bring them on stream & we may be unto something here.
Also cepep cut grass all the time....where the grass cuttings go? Plug it into the agri sector for mulching & returning organic matter into the soil. Cow dung makes for good maunre & if im not mistaken chicken dung can be used to. I am pretty sure animal farms wash the waste down into rivers increasing the COD, turbidity & all that by itself is another story. Wastewater plants dont have a plan to dispose of de-watered sludge, why not plug it into the agricultural sector? I have heard rumor of some smart men collecting some of this stuff, bagging it out & selling it as manure in agro shops for some good dollars, again marketing. Not to mention the mentality that if you eh paying good $$$ for it, it not good. where the fack you think it coming from?
Attempting to educate is one thing but to get farmers to alter their primitive farming practices with their Trini mentality is another thing. They have to be shown that the new mordern way yields better results or why in gods name will they change a practice that work for them years upon years? "Who de fack is you to come tell me how to do my work?"

We are still a long way from sustainable farming & not only the agri sector needs top be looked into but all of which can go hand in hand with it to get us there.

[nervewrecker]

and to top it off we solely blame parents today as well as other high society people for the state of the agriculture industry..every1 wants to became lawyers,doctors,pilots and little do they know they all have one thing in common..they must eat to survive...they all figure that vegetables come from the supermarkets...

Academics eh make much sense again nah, too much competition for jobs & the pay eh right. I have so much qualifications & studying so much yet my cousin who now finish school last year with 3 cxc subjects (not math & english & no grade 2 or 1) working for more than me. What he doing? he working with a contractor doing tiling.
De frig, is better I leave sch & go work with him yes. Shorter working hours & I not sitting behind a phucking desk & not getting any excersise.

[neals]

^^^^ Trinidad is still dependent on Natural Gas & Oil and not to concerned to go green jus yet.... when they do come into such maturity... then u will c the respect u so longed for come to the ppl who till the soil...

then till then, i gone raise my paw paw and citrus prices so i cud survive and NOT GO BANKRUPT!... heard of the days when orange was 10cents- seeing ONE going for 2 dollars!

[nervewrecker]

Just now bird pepper will sell for some good paper too, I dont even have. rossi & monsterpower blight meh
Funny how something that was once so common is now rare. Had a pal that came from away recently & we was having some hot broth home by me, I ask him if he wanted some pepper & he said sure....when I mention I have bird pepper he nearly dead. Man say he havent seen that in ages.

While I at it, gramoxone & lanate does still sell, arent those persistant pesticides?

[shake d livin wake d dead]

Just now bird pepper will sell for some good paper too, I dont even have. rossi & monsterpower blight meh
Funny how something that was once so common is now rare. Had a pal that came from away recently & we was having some hot broth home by me, I ask him if he wanted some pepper & he said sure....when I mention I have bird pepper he nearly dead. Man say he havent seen that in ages.

While I at it, gramoxone & lanate does still sell, arent those persistant pesticides?

lol at the bird pepper
as for the chemicals they are not supposed to be used....and yes they does still sell....usually what is supposed to be done,if an extension officer sees that you are using such chemicals,he should report you and the farmer has to face the "law" but that doesnt happen.....

[nervewrecker]

them thing is pesticides, weed killer...or indian tonic btw? or all 3?

I feel banzai better take notice of this.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

all three^^

[hustla_ambition101]

shakes you in the agri society in uwi by chance?

[shake d livin wake d dead]

yups^

[hustla_ambition101]

Shakes the society needs to be more serious in lobbying the gov't for jobs for agribiz graduates. I would discourage any youth from doing that degree unless they have sure access to land because the job market out there sucks, is years now I trying to get a steady job. I see the ministry trying something with the APDP or whats it name but after a couple of weeks no more correspondence on if they accepting or rejecting who apply

[shake d livin wake d dead]

like you did the agribusiness mgmt degree..I'd tell you the problem the government is having with this program....in a nutshell they believe that they are not ready for that level of expertise in this country.mainly because the industry is very poor...I agree there are several companies who don't know sheit about that discipline.
the sad thing is,the majority of students who did it and are presently doing it,don't know the importance of it,they did it because they had no other choice and could not get into social sciences.unless emphasis is placed on developing the sector graduates would continue to have this problem...

I would say to you,try and further yourself...do a MSC or something,make yourself more marketable if possible.the sad thing is that degree is such in demand all over the world even in the caribbean.

[UML]

Plenty talking about what they gonna do.
not sure what is actually being done.

"buy local" drive
"plant own crops" drive
partnered to grow local onions
brought in a specialist from India (yea the highly criticized trip)to deal with the red palm disease that has wiped out our coconut industry
reviving the rice industry
reviving cocoa industry
removed the owner-less cattle that was destroying crops and coconut in cedros
encouraging beef farming by giving out land to big farmers

[hustla_ambition101]

Plenty talking about what they gonna do.
not sure what is actually being done.

"buy local" drive
imported produce in some cases is cheaper
"plant own crops" drive

partnered to grow local onions
Onion production is not sensible as it is cheaper to import than produce them, it is a total waste of resources that can be utilized on short term leafy vegetables or cucumbers. Also, those onions are not widely used by the average consumer, instead they are used by restaurants, household consumers prefer smaller onions
brought in a specialist from India (yea the highly criticized trip)to deal with the red palm disease that has wiped out our coconut industry
I can tell you that this was not one of the "benefits" from the India trip, arrangements were being made long before and the delay was that the woman could not get a US Visa (she wanted to pass through the US for whatever reason.)
reviving the rice industry
one company cannot revive an industry
reviving cocoa industry
the cocoa industry has been under revitalization since 08/09
removed the owner-less cattle that was destroying crops and coconut in cedros
encouraging beef farming by giving out land to big farmers
too bad they not encouraging healthier meats

[shake d livin wake d dead]

more or less what hustla quoted

[UML]

Plenty talking about what they gonna do.
not sure what is actually being done.

"buy local" drive
imported produce in some cases is cheaper
"plant own crops" drive

partnered to grow local onions
Onion production is not sensible as it is cheaper to import than produce them, it is a total waste of resources that can be utilized on short term leafy vegetables or cucumbers. Also, those onions are not widely used by the average consumer, instead they are used by restaurants, household consumers prefer smaller onions
brought in a specialist from India (yea the highly criticized trip)to deal with the red palm disease that has wiped out our coconut industry
I can tell you that this was not one of the "benefits" from the India trip, arrangements were being made long before and the delay was that the woman could not get a US Visa (she wanted to pass through the US for whatever reason.)
reviving the rice industry
one company cannot revive an industry
reviving cocoa industry
the cocoa industry has been under revitalization since 08/09
removed the owner-less cattle that was destroying crops and coconut in cedros
encouraging beef farming by giving out land to big farmers
too bad they not encouraging healthier meats

das d worse excuses i ever see someone try to use to discredit something..u talking bout big onion and small onion

and the pnm always doing....always have plans....but did NOTHING.....lets see u try to discredit that

damned if u do..damned if u dont

carry on

[UML]

what were the plans for the MV Su??? a $52,000,000 coral reef?

[shake d livin wake d dead]

this is cyah see happening:


The Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs is hoping to lower the country’s food import bill to $2 billion by 2015. So said its minister Vasant Bharath at the launch of the National Food Production Action Plan 2012-2015 yesterday at Tucker Valley farm, Chaguaramas. Bharath said the document will hold government accountable to the population. “It is on this basis you will tell us if we have been successful or not,” he said. He said for the period 2006 to 2009 the country imported $2.4 billion annually in staples. He said it was roughly $700 million annually for corn, wheat, soya and rice.

The 22-page action plan stated that rice production was at 2,273 tonnes and its target was 7,500 tonnes by 2015. The target for cassava production in 2015 was 18,182 tonnes, an increase from 5,454 tonnes and dasheen, from 909 tonnes in 2012 to 1,818 tonnes in 2015. The plan was developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and outlined the strategic goals of the ministry to create a food-secure nation with focus on specific commodities. Bharath said: “There is a world-wide growing concern for the agriculture sector.

There is a world-wide growing concern to be able to produce food for each nation. “There is a world-wide growing concern that we may have money in our pockets, but not be in a position to purchase food.” He said T&T had almost all the resources to produce the food it needed because of the ideal climate and arable lands. Speaking with reporters after the launch, Bharath said government was seeking to reduce its importation bill by 25 per cent to 100 per cent over the next five years across all commodities listed in the plan. T&T’s fruit import bill for the last five years was almost $300 million. The minister said the local citrus industry will be resuscitated.

[nervewrecker]

Reduce importation by 100%, they does think before they phocking speak? One set of hot air is all I see here, next 2 weeks its not an issue, they just talking to make to look like they working. Where in Trinidad we have enough land available for that kind of farming?
Yes we have a global food crisis, a water crisis too but god is a trini, nobody cares. Remember the panick it had when we had 'drought' last time? now water wasting like fuss time. Food shortage, when, where?

[hustla_ambition101]

shakes and nerve allyuh correct. We DO NOT have the land resources to produce such high outputs, especially when a lot of land is being taken away and used for housing, some of the best agricultural land by the way. One of the Divisions in the ministry doesn't even have functioning telephones or internet for employees to carry out duties, sorry but I really don't see half of the Minister's plans coming to fruition, he has ambition but his advisers are seriously misleading him when it comes to productivity.

For any serious agriculture production to happen in T&T they first need to have proper security of land tenure and make it available to more youth with proper incentives, that 4000 acre lease was nothing but a sham to hand out cheap lands to big businessmen.

Secondly a willing labour force. CEPEP and URP workers full time on a farm, prison chain gangs can provide a large enough pool of labour to buffer farmers, let prisoners earn their housing and meals and at the end of the day they still learning something. Make it mandatory for all schools to have an agriculture program, the students are the ones who should decide whether they want to choose the subject or not and it would also help reduce the stigma. Allow agriculture and agribusiness graduates to get a fair chance at working in the ministry as AOs and AAs, partner with UWI to make the degree more relevant to our country. GET RID OF THE OLD DINOSAURS in high technical and consultant positions who think their 1950s planting methods are still the way to go.

Praedial larceny is also an issue, have a dedicated squad of agri rangers (more job creation) to patrol all the different counties with each county having their own officers and resources just like the corporations.

There needs to be a control put on the pesticides imported, its atrocious the amount of chemicals and I guarantee that UML partner Mr. Onion is a heavy user of pesticides since he is one of the biggest importers.

I could go on and on but I'm not getting any 20K a month as a retiree turned consultant

[shake d livin wake d dead]

shakes and nerve allyuh correct. We DO NOT have the land resources to produce such high outputs, especially when a lot of land is being taken away and used for housing, some of the best agricultural land by the way. One of the Divisions in the ministry doesn't even have functioning telephones or internet for employees to carry out duties, sorry but I really don't see half of the Minister's plans coming to fruition, he has ambition but his advisers are seriously misleading him when it comes to productivity.

For any serious agriculture production to happen in T&T they first need to have proper security of land tenure and make it available to more youth with proper incentives, that 4000 acre lease was nothing but a sham to hand out cheap lands to big businessmen.

Secondly a willing labour force. CEPEP and URP workers full time on a farm, prison chain gangs can provide a large enough pool of labour to buffer farmers, let prisoners earn their housing and meals and at the end of the day they still learning something. Make it mandatory for all schools to have an agriculture program, the students are the ones who should decide whether they want to choose the subject or not and it would also help reduce the stigma. Allow agriculture and agribusiness graduates to get a fair chance at working in the ministry as AOs and AAs, partner with UWI to make the degree more relevant to our country. GET RID OF THE OLD DINOSAURS in high technical and consultant positions who think their 1950s planting methods are still the way to go.

Praedial larceny is also an issue, have a dedicated squad of agri rangers (more job creation) to patrol all the different counties with each county having their own officers and resources just like the corporations.

There needs to be a control put on the pesticides imported, its atrocious the amount of chemicals and I guarantee that UML partner Mr. Onion is a heavy user of pesticides since he is one of the biggest importers.

I could go on and on but I'm not getting any 20K a month as a retiree turned consultant

well said....points well noted..the larceny unit in the police service needs some work as well...

[nervewrecker]

I tired say let them CEPEP, prisoners & others do something that gives back to the country. CEPEP is currently a handout & prison is a burden on society, let them earn that cable tv & let CEPEP do something constructive.
Some of those dinosaurs refuse to leave & even if they do leave you have to cope with the others from the old system that are reluctant & immune to change. I speaking from experience here, try to move forward & you meet real resistance, dont try to change dem mofos.
Agri rangers may get just like water police....where them? or normal police, corrupt. I say let farmers get guns, change laws to give them some more rights. Right now criminals have more rights than you.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

one of the main problems the government should deal with is land tenure...try going to the ADB for a loan nah, is real facking headache...especially when they ask for your papers...
but on another note....so much men on tuner and only 4-5 men showing interest....goes to show where we really at...smh

[shake d livin wake d dead]

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT), today officially received a disbursement of TT$134.2 million (€16,585,000) in development assistance from the European Union (EU) Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago. The funding, provided through sector budget support, will be deposited into the country’s National Treasury and used for the continued restructuring of the formerly state-owned sugar sector. This disbursement is part of a total €75 million (ca. TT$700 mio.) programme that the European Union has granted to Trinidad and Tobago. The announcement was made today at a Media Conference held at the Waterfront Building.

i hope this money is used for its intended purpose.

[Gem_in_i]

Weren't eciaf grads promised land for agri a couple yrs ago?

[shake d livin wake d dead]

as far as I understand a lot of people was promised lands all over the country.

[UML]

small onion big onion man.....i know u havent realised it as yet....cause PNMites slow like that...but ppl buy small onion because it cheaper than big onion....price determines what ppl buy....hence the reason the UNC promoting local production and local planting SO THE PRICE WILL GO DOWN!!!! so we can all afford the BIG onion.