Organic Pest Control

You have been attempting organic production. Land preparation and establishment of crops has been a success with Compost. In the process of scouting, you observe one caterpillar. Then two. And overnight you have two hundred on one plant! Abandoning your attempt at organic farming seems to be the follow-up activity in the sequence of organic farming practices. But wait, there is hope yet! At a training workshop held on Thursday July 24, 2014, the use of plants for biological control of pests was demonstrated.

L-R: Adelfa (red), Adelfa (pink), Neem

The plants selected for today's demonstration were:

1. OLEANDER: A fixture of the home garden, this plant has great POTENTial for organic pest control. You can identify the plant by the dull green, slender pointed leaves with clusters of flowers at the end of the branches. The flowers range in colour from white through cream, pink rose and red. Participants were cautioned of the toxicity of the plant. In handling the plant, one should not eat, drink nor smoke. So poisonous is this plant, that even food cooked on the wood is poisoned. Does this leave any doubt in your mind that the Oleander can be effective in pest control? It can be used to control ants, flies, caterpillars and other insects. Other names by which this shrub is known includes Adelfa, Rose Bay and Rosa Fancesca.
2. NEEM: The use of neem as a biological pesticide is known far and wide due to its commercialisation. The seeds are a more concentrated source of the pesticidal ingredient than the leaves. The seeds (kernels) are used to make neem oil. Neem is used in the control of pests such as beetles, termites, scale insects, mealy bugs and aphids.

   

   It's bubbling and it's not soup

METHOD: 

1. Crush and boil leaves, seeds or bark for 30 minutes
2. Let cool 
3. Pour into spray can
4. Add soap mixture (Grate one bar of blue soap and add to 5 gallons of water; Use 500mL to 1 spray can)
5. Spray!

POINTS TO NOTE:

• The Oleander can also be crushed and SOAKED  for 30 minutes (See Step 1). It is more poisonous when boiled than soaked.
• Neem is most effective under humid conditions or when the insect and the plants are damp.
• Cover the container when boiling (regardless of plant selection) to prevent the entry of light as light reduces the potency. The cooled extraction should also not be be exposed to sunlight.
• The boiled contents are only good for 48 hours.
• After mixing with soap, the solution is only effective for 8 hours.

This can be tailored to both large scale production and production for home use. For home use, I would recommend Adelfa as the better option as it is widely available and can be soaked instead of going through the boiling method.

Farmer Field School Open Day

"A farmer is a person outstanding in their field". Get the double entendre?

At Farmer Field School, farmers perform outstandingly at a learning program which is very practical and participatory. What is Farmer Field School? The following video provides an overview of the program with the description of the project, teaching methodology and participant feedback:

On Wednesday, July 16, 2014, an Open Day was held for the the Farmer Field School for the region of Choiseul/Soufriere. Field School for this region is conducted on the farm holding of Mr. Compton at River Doree, Choiseul. The program which is currently funded by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund also benefits from technical support of the Taiwan Technical Mission. The sessions are also facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture Extension Services. In attendance were representatives from the Embassy of Taiwan, Taiwan Technical Mission, Ministry of Agriculture, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Hotels and Ministry of Social Transformation.

The event was organised with a presentation on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in the production of watermelon and corn-these were the two crops grown by the Field School participants. These GAPs presented ranged from production to post-harvest to marketing activities.

Audience to Mr. Pilgrim's (CARDI) presentation

Afterwards, the group was taken on a tour of the field cultivated by the Field School trainees. The varieties of watermelon planted were the Empire No. 2 and Dark Belle. The corn varieties cultivated were the White Pearl and America H5. 

Intercropped corn and watermelon

After the walk in the afternoon sun, we were refreshed with the Watermelon Tasting segment of the activity. The fruit of the labour of the Field School trainees were on display whole and sliced for the enjoyment of the visitors. Following which there was a Question and Answer Segment.

Taste test: Which variety do you prefer?

Congratulations to the trainees who will be graduating from the Farmer Field School at the end of the month on their achievement!

Gender Matters in the Aim for a Green Economy

A two-day National Round Table on Rural Women Agricultural Producers and the Green Economy was convened at Auberge Seraphine Hotel. The session was a combined effort of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre and the National Fair Trade Organisation (St. Lucia) Inc. as part of the project, Enabling Caribbean Women Farmers' Participation in the Green Economy. Women represented farmers's groups such as Belle Vue Farmers' Cooperative, Black Bay Farmers' Cooperative, the Saint Lucia Floral Cooperative, and Babonneau Cluster of St. Lucia Network of Rural Women Producers. We were also joined by male representatives from their respective organisations/institutions.

The objectives of the Round Table were to:

1. Exchange information regarding the Green Economy in St. Lucia
2. Discuss the findings of the research on the participation of rural women agricultural producers in the green economy process
3. Identify the elements of a gender sensitive green economy policy framework for the region
4. Generate information to inform the drafting of a Women Farmers Manifesto for the Green Economy

What is the Green Economy?

The Green Economy Initiative was borne out of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012. The working definition of the Green Economy by the United Nations Environment Programme is an economy that results in improved human well being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risk and ecological scarcities; this economy aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment. Thus, the critical areas identified for development are:

• Economy
• Environment
• Society

Additionally, the initiative promotes alternative livelihood activities which reduce pressure on the environment. These activities will reduce our ecological footprint ie. the extent to which human activity places pressure on productive land used for forests, crop land, grazing land, fishing grounds and built-up land.

As such, agriculture has been identified as a sector to be developed for a greener economy. The other nine sectors are fisheries, buildings, forestry, transportation, water, waste, manufacturing and industry, energy supply and tourism. Agricultural production places pressure on resources of fisheries, forestry and water. This underscores the fact that farmers-both male and female-play a key role in the management of the ecosystem.

Why does Gender Matter in the Green Economy?

To effect this paradigm shift to the Green Economy all members of society should be engaged. Women have been identified as a vulnerable group, uniquely affected by these proposed changes. In light of women's contribution to agricultural production and their gender roles in the society which are of economical and social significance it was important for dialogue among women on their unique experiences in the sector. As producers, women farmers contribute to the family's income and country's GDP; their agricultural practices impact on the environment; their farming activities also have effects on the culture in their communities.  This session was designed to explore gender-sensitive issues and implications to the Green Economy Initiative. Topics discussed included subsistence farming practices, organic farming, marketing activities, record keeping, security of land tenure, women's decision-making roles as mothers and providers in the household and how these affect the ecological footprint.

Today's  introduction to the Green economy concept was an interesting exchange which provided me with new perspectives on gender-based issues in the local and global agricultural sector.

Additional resources:

UNEP-Green Economy
Caribbean Policy Development Centre

TRAINING WORKSHOP on COMPOST

Today's agventures (adventures in agriculture) takes me to Terre Blanc Estate at Soufriere Saint Lucia. I have visited before, albeit briefly. Today, it is the venue for field training for farmers in composting. This training is part of a project to promote sustainable crop production through the application of organic agricultural methods for sustainable community development. We go right on to the banana plantation where the scent of the near by Sulphur Springs pervades.

The method demonstrated was Piling Compost.

Lucky for us, we are on a banana plantation where stems are readily available

Materials

• Source of carbon. Banana stems were used for this demonstration.
• Source of Nitrogen. Examples include green material such as grass or leaves. Grass was used in this training
• Source of Micro Nutrients. Examples include Blood Meal, Bone Meal, Fish Meal, Feathers, Manure. In this training horse manure and chicken feathers were used.
• Source of Micro Organisms such as mites, snails, ants, earthworms and woodlice. Examples include Soil, Compost. In this training soil was used.
• Water

Spreading the manure

Tools:

• Garden fork
• Cutlass
• Thermometer
• Wheel barrow
• Bags

It was interesting to learn that local soils are lacking in phosphorus primarily because they do not occur naturally in the soil. Bone meal, feathers and fish meal are all excellent sources of phosphorus. Fresh blood is another source of this micro-nutrient. It is best used as fresh as possible. If not possible to be used the same day then it should be frozen. The application method is 1/2 part water to 1/2 part blood. Moreover, fresh blood acts as an activator, accelerating the composting process.

Steps:

1. Procure the materials.
2. Clear the area for the compost pile.
3. Lay the stems in a rectangular shape.
4. Chop a layer of banana stems and lay them at the base of the heap.
5. Layer on the grass along the full length and breadth of the banana stems. 
6. Layer on the chicken feathers along the centre of the pile.
7. Layer the animal manure.
8. Layer on 3 bags of dirt.
9. Add another layer of chopped banana stems.
10. Add another layer of grass.
11. Add another layer of animal manure.
12. Add on 5 bags of dirt.

The Final Product!

The compost pile was not drenched with water as it was a day of intermittent showers. Although the Rainy Season officially began on June 1, no significant rainfall has been recorded. It still feels like Kawenm (french creole for Dry Season).

Management of Compost:

• The pile should be watered daily
• The temperature should be checked daily or at least three times per week
• The pile should be turned

Since this pile was made with less hardy material (with banana stems instead of woody tree stems) the composting should be complete in three months. Bulkier, hardier material takes six months to a year to compost.

THE FAMILIAR AND UNFAMILIAR (3)

"Food is our common ground,

a universal experience."

~James Beard

Did you ever wonder at the identity of the bright orange fruit featured on all Fruit Logistica promotional material? Before the event, I had not been exposed to even a photograph of it. On this basis, it classifies as an exotic fruit.

Standing poster/board

While being pervasive on event material, it proved more difficult to locate the actual fruit on the stands. After walking miles of hallway, I finally located them on the second day of the Fruit Logistica. They were laid out at the Santa Margarita stand. In good exhibition fashion they are displayed both whole and cut open. As attractively orange as the outside is, the inside is garishly green. I am not eager to taste this fruit. Maybe I might be so inclined if there was a stand which served recipes of the kiwano.

The Star of the Show

So what is this famous mystery? The name of this fruit is Kiwano. A google search produces other names by which this fruit is known: horned melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd and melano. The alias African horned cucumber attests to its origins and explains why the seeds seem familiar to those of cucumber (Cucumis sativus).

Another exotic fruit (in my books) presents itself. This discovery looks less intimidating and I am willing to taste test. What a coincidence that it too is orange and the name begins with the letter "K"- Kaki. I have found it in the Spain section where samples are being distributed. It is delicious! It also helps to know that this fruit is a powerhouse of nutritional benefits which includes Vitamin C-just like the kiwano.

Right side up-Samples of kaki

 On the promotional material given, it states that : "Due to its sweet flavour a lot of people think that kaki fruit is fattening , but the caloric value is not exceedingly high." No doubt this makes a great option for healthy food dieters- if you can get your hands on it.

Bottoms up-Kaki in display case

In general, the Fruit Logistica was an wholesome opportunity to broaden my fruit experiences with new perspectives gained on familiar fruit and discovering the unfamiliar.

Please note that for additional photo moments of the Fruit Logistica, you can visit the D.I.G Facebook Page album

Additional resources: 

Kiwano Fact Sheet-Purdue
Kaki Fruit Information

THE FAMILIAR AND UNFAMILIAR (2)

Within the category of familiar fruits seen at the Fruit Logistica, it was interesting to encounter new varieties and value added products. One such example was mangoes. A wide range of African mangoes were exhibited namely: Palmer, Amelie, Smith, Keitt and Kent.

Mango Palmer at the Fruit Logistica

It has been lamented for years that during the mango season in Saint Lucia, much of the produce is wasted due to a lack in processing options. Dried mango snacks is one such option featured at the event. I had the opportunity to taste two brands:  7 Days Dried Mango from Pakistan made with Chaunsa mangoes; and Mama's Flavour from Tanzania. 

Mama's Flavour wins the taste test. My opinion was supported by my colleagues Additionally, they are solar dried and contain no additional ingredients. Other dried products include bananas, paw paw and pineapple.

Product of Pakistan

Product of Tanzania

Other dried mango snacks available were Bomarts Dried Mango from Ghana and SFA Premium Dried Mangoes from Pakistan.

Product of Ghana

Product of Pakistan

Before venturing into the production in dried fruit snacks due research must inform the best variety for processing and consumer taste preference. It would also be advantageous to follow the example of Tanzania with solar dried fruit for cost effectiveness, sustainability and tastiness.

Please  note: Additional photo highlights of the Fruit Logistica can be found on the D.I.G Facebook page

THE FAMILIAR and UNFAMILIAR (1)

"A fruit is not afraid of its own weight.

It grows into its skin fully. It is whole,

each part of its body equally alive"

~Gayle Brandeis 

Can you relate to the experience of being lost? Imagine that this is your first time in Berlin and you become separated from your group of friends and/or family in the vast crowd. Imagine the sense of panic And then on rejoining the group, the immense of relief! While most of the fruits featured at the Fruit Logistica were not completely foreign to me, some were unfamiliar. Examples such as imported apples, strawberries, pears and plums can be found on supermarket shelves in Saint Lucia. Like unexpectedly meeting old friends in new places, it was even more amazing to encounter fruits that are grown in Saint Lucia. 

1. Sugar Apples

Imagine my pleasant surprise to come across sugar apples at the Pakistan stand! They were displayed on the counter among other fruits. Their whites smiled up at me and I smiled down at them as we have known each other from my childhood. Our love relationship started ever since I was old enough to eat foods with seeds. The Pakistanis call them custard apples, but sugar apple is more fitting. 

Sugar apple opened for display

2. Sapodillas

Another joy to behold was the sapodilla. "Sapotee", as it is called locally is another long time love. The insides are not as dark as those I have enjoyed, but I imagine that they taste just as sweet when they ripen.

Sapotee cut open for display

3. Bananas

I imagine that a ripe banana is a ray of sunshine in the breakfast menu of anyone who resides in Europe. Especially during autumn and winter with the bleak, cold weather. Bananas, both ripe and green, were displayed by several territories throughout the event.

Green bananas in packaging at the Ghana stand

4. Pomegranate

A recent trend in the food business is the promotion of nutritional foods. More specifically, a niche market has been created for products with antioxidant properties which are available at premium price. Pomegranate is one such example; it can be found in many products from food to cosmetics. Where was this wonder fruit before all the market visibility? "Ponm gwennad" as it is called locally, was available in our backyards for free. 

Ponm gwennad on display

Packaging of the pomn gwennad

5. Passion Fruit

Purple passion fruit is a major African export. They were prominently displayed on lighted signs and in the arrangements which graced the stands. The illuminated images effectively transported me to tropical conditions while onsite in cold Berlin. A cold glass of passion fruit juice can however be refreshing in any climate.

Sign at the Kenya stand

The magnitude of the Fruit Logistica event is unimaginable amazing! You need to experience it to believe it. As an advertisement  seen at one of the stands depicts, the experience can be described as being bathed in fruit. However, there is still capacity for new participants. Can you imagine that at Fruit Logistica 2015, Saint Lucia reserves a stand? Or even better, for the Caribbean to be represented in an entire section? We should definitely showcase our primary and value added agricultural products.

Fruit Logistica is like being bathed in food

Please  note: Additional photo highlights of the Fruit Logistica can be found on the D.I.G Facebook

page

YAM- YUM!

A tale of two regions:

Yam is produced in Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean region. It is also produced in Africa but at a much greater scale of production. In this post we focus on the fascinating account of Ghana's successful yam export as related by a major exporter. With over 100 yam export companies in Ghana, his business has a 30% share of the yam export industry. His yams are prominently displayed at the Ghana stand at the Fruit Logistica which began today in Berlin, Germany. My presence at this trade fair is due to the gracious invitation of COLEACP. African states are well represented at this event, and the Ghana stand is an excellent example.

Prized yams in their viewing case

Competitive Advantages

1. Climate

Traditionally, agricultural production coincides with peak rainfall periods of the year. Ghana's rainy season begins in March/April. This allows a competitive advantage over major competitors, whose rainy seasons occur later in the year. To supply the European demand for this tasty tuber, this exporter ships 200,000 yams per month! At the moment since demand is greater, he has opted for air transport to fill the demand in between shipments.

2.Yams

Nice dry yams

What makes the buyer yearn for yams from Ghana? The distinct taste of the yams has earned them their renown. The taste is even preferred over the taste of yams from other competing African nations such as Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Ghana has enjoyed success in particular with the variety, Puna. Hopefully, I may get the opportunity to experience the taste test myself without the guarantee of objectivity! I would like to taste the difference between their yam and our yam.

Also, customer satisfaction depends on minimal loss due to spoilage. To achieve this, the harvested yams are kept in the warehouse for three weeks prior to shipping. In this time, all the pieces of yam which would have spoiled would be sorted. During this period, moisture which accelerates post harvest loss would have dried off the yams selected for export.

On first impressions of Fruit Logistica, I had not imagined that root crops would be featured. This pleasant surprise afforded me a first hand learning experience of the scope of the international tuber trade. With African and Caribbean diaspora, Ghana's yams are well poised to take advantage of this European niche market.

Additional resources:

Analysis of Incentives and Disincentives for Yam in Ghana

COLEACP PIP-NEW TECHNIQUES IN AGRI-EXTENSION

What is PIP?

When this learning opportunity came knocking on my email address, I immediately took to Google. I had so many questions: "What is COLEACP?" and "What is PIP?" among others. Maybe you are like me- new to these acronyms and scouring the internet for information. In that case I will direct you to the official  COLEACP website at this link: http://www.coleacp.org/ . The full term for PIP may prove more difficult to find. What was previously called the Pesticide Initiative Programme has grown to be more inclusive. The programme was first developed in response to the challenge of pesticide concentration on agricultural produce in excess of Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). Now the initiative has grown to embrace food security and sustainable agriculture issue such as: 

1.  Ethical Trade
2. Environmental Impact of Pesticides
3. Integrated Crop Management
4. Alternative Production Systems including Organic

COLEACP and the Caribbean Farmers' Network (CaFAN), hosted a two-week training in Saint Lucia for Caribbean extension workers and affiliates from December 2-14, 2014.

Each participant received a training kit containing ALL of these. Thanks COLEACP!

New Methods of Training

It was a tight schedule for the two-week training. Participants were trained in both the Training of Trainers Techniques and the Field Training Workshop Methods. Even before we arrived at the workshop venue on the workshop start date, we had been assigned projects. The momentum was maintained until the final day of workshop activities.

Some of the topics explored included:

1. Adult Learning
2. SIOM-Subject, Interest, Objective, Method
3. Food Safety
4. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Sustainable Agricultural Production
5. Pesticide Label
6. Pestcide Resistance
7. Questioning Techniques
8. Traceability
9. Training Aids
10. Training Programmes

Field Trip! Farm Visit

Group work

What did we learn? How are we going to use it?

On the last few days of the workshop we were honoured buy the presence of COLEACP PIP Managing Director, Mr. Guy Stinglhamber who listened to the final presentations of each represented country's action.

On the first day of the training, we were daunted by restrictions to our use of good old Power Point presentations. Dare I say that some of us were lost! But in short time, we came to the realisation that Power Point was just old. We were all converted  to the Field Trainer Workshop technique, acknowledging that adult learning requires participatory training technique and tapping into our creativity.We all vowed to continue the momentum, using these techniques in our professional and individual capacities.

Congratulations to the Graduands!

Reporting from Rwanda for the ICT4Ag Conference

The plane taxis to a stop while the perfunctory airline safety protocol is announced.  Jimmy Cliff’s timeless tune, “I Can See Clearly”, welcomes us to Rwanda. The nostalgic words coming over the system have never been more profound:

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It's gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunshinin' day.
It's gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunshinin' day.”

From my window seat, I can appreciate the beauty of the day despite my fatigue. This journey across different time zones began on the night of October 30. Cold rain greeted me in London and the day was spent under overcast skies. It was a night flight out of Heathrow too and dawn was only breaking when the plane landed in Kenya. But today, November 1, sun streams through the plane window-the light at the end of the tunnel!

Bright, sunshining day

As the plane prepared to land, and the rolling landscape became more defined, I marveled at the land distribution. Rural development was planned into a seamless quilt of shades of green and brown. Even from way up here, the place looks so clean! Rwanda’s “almost litter-free” status had been indicated in the information package provided by the event organisers. Admittedly, I instead entertained anxious anticipation of being hauled off to prison or fined. I’m expecting a search of my luggage “at the border and even at police checkpoints throughout the country” to enforce the plastic bag ban. I mentally review the contents of my suitcase. Never in my travelling history has a bag been more carefully packed.

Window seats are always the best

My first experience in Kigali, Rwanda validates it as the choice of venue for the ICT4Ag Conference. Technology is very evident from the start. At immigration I am asked to look into the webcam on the counter for my photo to be taken. My thumb prints are also electronically scanned. This is my first entry point of this trip through several international airports which requires this of me. It is only fitting that this is where we engage discussion on ICT applications to farming, fisheries and livestock. I am especially eager to discover the existing ICT solutions, the latest technological innovations, in agriculture. Lucky for me these will be on exhibition on Day 1-Plug and PlayDay.

Before the official Conference activities from the November 4-8, the Social Reporting team will be trained in the use of social media tools to generate broad online awareness, interest and participation for events beginning with the ICT4Ag Conference.  The ICT4Ag Social Reporting Team is a diverse group from ACP countries. I look forward to this interactive learning experience. The journey to become an ICT4Ag Professional, particularly skilled in social media and social reporting has brought me this far in such a short space of time. I see a bright sunshining future for me.

Where are you on the road to achieving your goals?