News Releases

UWI’s Faculty of Food & Agriculture Offers Farmers Agro-Environmental Services On-The-Go

For Release Upon Receipt - August 15, 2024

St. Augustine


 

Mr. Augustus Thomas (Right) presents UWIMade Biophyte 1.0, a biological alternative to hazardous pesticides to a local farmer in the Orange Grove Area during the Mobile Agro-Environmental Services (AES) Initiative produced by The UWI's Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA).

ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago- August 15, 2024 – The Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA), at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, recognizes the critical importance of safe and quality food within our diet. To address this need, the Agro-Environmental Services (AES) was established to provide essential support to farmers and other relevant stakeholders, such as agrochemical companies, in the realms of Plant Health Services.

On July 23rd, 2024, AES took a significant step by going mobile for the first time, delivering diagnostic services directly to farmers in the Orange Grove area. This initiative, offered free of charge, saw the FFA team visiting farm sites and engaging with farmers on location to diagnose issues related to plant and soil health and providing guidance on appropriate remedies.  Services included soil health assessments, such as pH and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements, and pest and disease problem diagnosis.

Plant health services are vital for sustaining agricultural systems' vitality, ensuring the quality and abundance of food supplies necessary to support the growing local and global population. AES offers a comprehensive range of scientific analyses and diagnostics, including pest and disease diagnosis, soil and water analysis, animal feed analysis, and food analysis. Each component is critical and interconnected within broader agricultural and ecological systems.

The aim of these integrated services is not merely to react to issues as they arise but to proactively support our stakeholders through quality service. For example, pest and disease diagnosis play a crucial role in protecting crops from pathogens and pests that can cause significant damage to plant health and yield. By identifying these threats early, effective management strategies can be implemented to mitigate impacts.

Similarly, soil and water analyses provide essential data on the nutritional and chemical status of the environments where plants grow. This information is fundamental for optimizing crop health and productivity, ensuring that environmental conditions support optimal plant growth. Additionally, animal feed analysis ensures that livestock receive balanced nutrition, which is essential for their health and the quality of animal-derived food products. Meanwhile, food analysis assesses the safety and quality of food products, safeguarding public health and maintaining consumer trust in agricultural outputs.

Recognizing the crucial role that farmers play in ensuring food availability, the FFA is committed to supporting them and is determined to continue this mobile service, visiting a different farming community each year. This proactive approach aims to enhance the resilience of food systems, improve the sustainability of agricultural practices, and boost the availability and quality of food and agricultural products. By supporting individual farmers and agricultural producers, AES promotes food security and environmental sustainability for the broader community.

For more information or take advantage of this opportunity, please contact Augustus Thomas – Plant Pathologist at 662-2002 ext. 82090 or via WhatsApp at 868-389-4237 (868-389-4AES). Alternatively, inquiries can be directed to our email at STA-AES.DFP@sta.uwi.edu.

The Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) will also be at the TT Agri-Expo 2024 in the Queen’s Park Savannah on Friday 16 August 2024 to Sunday 18 August 2024 with the main objective to foster partnerships with key stakeholders. Farmers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers are invited to visit the booth where insights will be shared on enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the local food supply chain. Please check out booth numbers E 25 to E28 to meet with the FFA experts.

END

Notes to Editor

Photo Captions 

Mr. Augustus Thomas assesses the condition of a plant's health and the soil's conditions during the Mobile Agro-Environmental Services (AES) Exercise.

 

A member of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) performs soil analysis to diagnose pest and disease symptoms during the Mobile Agro-Environmental Services (AES) Exercise.

A member of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) shares a bottle of the UWIMade (Biophyte 1.0) a bio-friendly pesticide that achieves ideal remedy to achieves optimal soil health and plant protection, with local farmer in the Orange Grove Area during Mobile Agro-Environmental Services (AES) Exercise.

About The University of the West Indies

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier, higher education institution. One of only two regional universities in the world, it comprises five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE).

Learn more at www.uwi.edu

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