PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Oct. 03, 2014, CNS – As part of CARDI’s ongoing efforts to assist with the development of the Protected Agriculture (PA) industry in Trinidad and Tobago, the CARDI Country Office in collaboration with the University of the West Indies (UWI) hosted a series of training workshops, entitled "Techniques to Improve Protected Agriculture Productivity in Trinidad and Tobago", targeting producers and key stakeholders within the sector.
These workshops sought to enhance participants' skills and training in the principles and practices of PA technology through lectures and practical demonstrations in areas such as housing design and erection, in-house climate management, fertigation management, production techniques and marketing.
Glen Rochford, a greenhouse farmer from the Santa Cruz/La Pastora area said though he has been a traditional farmer for 30 years, “the protected agriculture system is the way of the future,” for “it allows you to ensure a return on your investment; it provides farmers with a viable option who do not have land space for open field agriculture. It is the best way to go.”
A total of 60 persons attended the workshops.
The facilitator was Mr. Jervis Rowe, a Jamaican national and President of the Jamaican Greenhouse Growers Association since 2008. He is a practicing greenhouse businessman who has extensive experience and knowledge in the field of Protected Agriculture.
The participants included private farmers and representatives from the Ministry of Food Production, Ministry of Education, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), students from the University of Trinidad and Tobago and University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus and private sector companies.
This activity is part of a project being implemented by CARDI and UWI and funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
CNS/ml/2014
