Photo courtesy: WUSC Caribbean (Facebook)
On 29th May, 2024, 18 farmers from the Eastern Agricultural District successfully graduated from the White Potato Production (Crop Management and Husbandry) Farmers Field School in Dominica.
The Field School was conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy (MoAFBGE) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) under the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) project implemented by the World University of Canada (WUSC). The Field School which ran from January – April 2024 was designed to introduce white potato production to farmers in the Eastern Agricultural District – an area where the crop has never been grown. The programme offered both theoretical and practical training to farmers and also provided practical tools and specialized equipment and safety gear to promote effective health and safety practices on farms.
The World University Service of Canada reported that farmers’ efforts have resulted in an impressive harvesting of 97.5 lbs of Spunta potatoes and 365 lbs of Desiree potatoes.
Speaking at the Graduation Ceremony held at the Youth Skills Center in Castle Bruce, Minister of Agriculture, The Honourable Roland Royer said that the “Farmers Field School approach is recognised as the best method to create an environment conducive to learning for knowledge transfer and application of new technologies and innovation.” Minister Royer also commended the females that participated in the programme, noting that they formed the majority of trainees.
Senator Austelle Lockhart remarked that “diversifying into white potato production ensures a more stable and secure food supply to the island.”
The White Potato program is a major initiative of the Government of Dominica which aims to reduce the islands food import bill and increase the sector’s contribution to GDP. The Government of Dominica has set a target for the island’s agriculture sector to contribute $700,000,000 to its GDP by 2030.
CARDI Representative in Dominica, Dorian Etienne noted that in addition to the training, the institute has been conducting crop performance evaluations with regards to varieties, agroecological zones and management practices.