Farmers across Trinidad and Tobago are being equipped with tools to farm smarter and greener.
This comes as the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) rolled out a ‘Lead Farmer Training Programme’ which falls under the Bioreach project that is funded by agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and aims to build capacity in climate-smart agriculture. Thirty lead farmers, extension officers, and communication specialists are set to benefit from hands-on training.
FAO Representative ad interim for Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Gillian Smith, said the objective of the programme is to ensure that farmers are sustaining the environment while producing for agriculture.
“We’re very excited about the fact that we are now at the stage of the programme where we are having our lead farmer training implemented, and what this does is to take a farmer field school approach – taking the farmers and the extension officers together to work on ways to improve agricultural production and productivity.”
One of the farmers participating in the programme, Shazard Hosein, shared that he’s looking forward to learning new and sustainable techniques, as he’s never been a part of such a programme.
“Especially not hands-on; hands-on experience will make it a little better as you’re doing it and seeing everything in real time. Information is key to everything in life; the more information you have, the more you can utilise it towards any other aspect of life.”
NAMDEVCO CEO Nirmalla Debysingh said the programme is a grassroots approach to train experienced farmers to become lead farmers who can guide their communities in adopting sustainable, resilient practices.
“This is how we build long-term change: farmer to farmer, community to community. To all participants in this programme, I would like to commend you; you are the future of agriculture in this country.”
She said the programme will focus on key areas such as proper agronomic techniques, integrated pest management, and sustainable soil, as well as how these practices can be integrated into sustainable agricultural systems—without causing harm to our ecosystems.
“This programme will benefit Trinidad and Tobago, the agriculture sector of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, and all farmers because here we have thirty lead farmers who are versed, who are trained, who are certified in agro-technology, and who will now have the opportunity to use their farms as field schools to train additional farmers. Here’s where we have the opportunity for community engagement of farmers to continue the training paradigm.”
The training will also be combined with classroom sessions and extensive hands-on learning at a dedicated learning field.