The Ministry of Agriculture , with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB), on Wednesday commenced a three-day workshop , edifying pre-selected applicants of Government’s Pilot Agricultural Land Bank Project with important information relating to post-harvest handling and quality requirements for roots and tubers for local markets.
Critical areas during the three-day knowledge sharing exercise include but are not limited to ,harvesting and storage , post-harvesthandling, packhouse operations , inspection of consignments , value addition and food safety ; all areas that can influence increased production and export of root crops such as Sweet Potatoes, Yams,Dasheen and Tannia.
Chief Agricultural Officer Trevor Thompson, explained to participants the Ministry’s efforts to increase agricultural production.He correlated the increase with quality and handling of produce including that of root crops.
The Pilot Agricultural Land Bank Project aims to reduce idle or underutilized arable lands in Grenada; improve access of fertile lands to landless farmers, women and youth interested in agricultural enterprises and agribusiness; build and enhance the technical capacity of pertinent Government Departments entrusted with land administration; and improve agricultural production , thereby contributing more to GDP and food and nutrition security.
CEO of the Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB) the agency responsible for implementing this training pledged her organization’s support to the participants.
Also delivering remarks was Roderick St. Clair Senator for Agriculture and Fisheries at Upper House of the Grenada’s Parliament. He commended the stakeholders on the execution of the project and said it augurs well for Grenada’s Food Security Future.
This is the second major training program under the pilot agricultural land bank project for preselected applicants.The first training was that of the Agribusiness training organized by the Ministry of Agriculture through support from the Food and Agricultural Organisation , implemented by the Grenada Investment Development Cooperation (GIDC) .
The Ministry through this project is making available lands at the Diamond Estate in St. Mark and Grand Bacolet in St. Andrew.This training will conclude on Monday with a Farm visit and a visit to the Marketing and National Importing Board’s packhouse.
A total of 36 persons are participating in this training, this number includes pre-selected applicants , members of staff of the MNIB and two extension officers
Following the successful implementation of the Pilot Agricultural Land Bank Project, it is the Ministry’s intention to upscale the project to have landowners deposit lands in land bank, giving landless persons an opportunity to operate their own farming enterprises.
