First phase of demonstration farm under way

This is the strong statement from Elsworth Reid, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management, during a site tour of the composite demonstration and training farm in Graeme hall, Christ Church.

 

He told the media, “The composite demonstration and training farm is one of the strategies the Ministry is using to stimulate the agriculture sector, promote sustainable agriculture and fast track agriculture in Barbados. Agriculture that is environmentally friendly and climate smart using the ecosystems around.”

 

“We at the Ministry cannot keep all of the research to ourselves. It needs to be shared with farmers, the players and stakeholders in the agriculture sector. 

 

“Persons who want to learn from the latest techniques used, and in so doing, create a new culture of what agriculture is all about. Not just the ‘fork and the hoe’ but the ‘science’ of it. One which will encompass aquaponics, hydroponics, vertical agriculture, 

protective agriculture and rain harvesting… to name a few.”

 

Reid emphasised, “Having something of this, which we can tie to the manufacturing and tourism sector is another plus. We are looking at the value added chain and demonstration areas for different types of manufacturing that can be done using raw 

agriculture produce. Persons will be able to get a first-hand experience of the journey from raw to secondary materials using agriculture produce.”

 

“Agriculture is not only about farmers but households. We want to encourage persons to go back to backyard gardening and growing their own foods using vertical agriculture. The belief that one needs a half-acre of land to grow food is not true. Using vertical agriculture persons can grow their own foods such as pumpkins, cucumbers or tomatoes on trellis. This allows growing your own food with whatever space you have.”

 

Reid pointed out, “The two month old project is expected to finish in November when Barbados will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary but it was not done solely in keeping with our fiftieth anniversary. 

 

“At the ministry we are trying to bring back agriculture to where it should have been. Working side by side with tourism and manufacturing. We want to bring back the 1966 days into our modern times, seeing how it can work together with tourism and manufacturing to boost the economy in Barbados. This is why the demonstration farm is so important and being developed at our fiftieth anniversary.”

 

Kristina Adams, Agriculture Consultant on the project told the media, “So far phase one of the composite and demonstration farm is underway. It involves the building of the Tilapia ponds and the aquaponics systems, which will showcase doing aquaponics from fish waste.

 

“The Tilapia pond will involve two types of aquaponics. Deep water rafting and the nutrient flow technique. Demonstration techniques, which will provide householders, students and farmers with first hand knowledge on how to do these things. 

 

“How to work the different equipment and how to grow vegetables using this system, and even implement aquaponics at home whether on a large or small scale because the science is the same.”

 

Adams revealed, “The second stage of the project the Tilapia ponds will show how you can tie into various types of agriculture, where the ponds will be used to aggregate the ground crops and also the crops in the green houses.”