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UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 5 MAY 2019
techAGRI 2019
On the western field behind the Old Administration
Building
of the St Augustine Campus of The University of
theWest Indies, the Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA)
hosted the third installment of its
techAGRI Expo 2019
un-
der the theme “Technology. Innovation. Entrepreneurship”
on March 29 to 31. Adults and teens wandered between
the booths, pausing to learnmore about whatever captured
their interests while in the background, children screamed
joyfully from the interior of a bouncy castle.
There was a full schedule of events and activities
over the three days, including a mini market, wildlife zoo,
workshops, food village and agricultural displays. This, the
largest technology and agriculture show in the country,
can be considered a sample of the potential for growth and
innovation taking place in these industries.
TechAGRI
, if
nothing else, is an ambitious tool in attempting to influence
people’s attitude towards climate change, food security and
their responsibility as key stakeholders in a rapidly chang-
ing world. These issues are the elephant in every room in
every home across the world.
Recent initiatives by Government ministries to miti-
gate the risks involved in climate change have been high-
lighted in local media reports over the last few months.
Severe weather patterns have affected the populace in
significant ways – increased water shortages, rising tem-
peratures and impromptu flooding. Internationally, abnor-
mal weather conditions have affected every continent and
countries have been forced to take drastic measures. In
South Africa, there are talks about towing an iceberg from
Antarctica, 2,000 kilometres over, to combat Cape Town’s
growing water crisis. We´re not yet in need of an iceberg
but water security is just the tip of larger environmental
problems we must all face. Locally, discussions are ongoing
about water conservation and security, such as limiting
the excessive or unnecessary use of water in private and
public consumption.
At
techAGRI
, a number of different vendors showcased
hydroponics systems for both the home gardener and the
commercial farmer. The booth operated by FFA drew a
crowd, with patrons signing up for the agri business train-
ing and development series. The Landscape Management
course highlighted plants that grow well with minimum
water and the Hydroponics course’s tagline stated boldly
“Grow Plants without Soil!”. These aren’t untapped re-
sources, as the sign-up list showed, people of all ages are
sitting up and taking notice. Perhaps change is coming.
Over at the Trinidad and Tobago Beekeepers’ Asso-
ciation’s tent, there was a literal buzz; patrons exclaimed
over the honey on offer while bees swarmed around an
enclosed comb, indifferent to the curious stares. Their
honey was a marvel, with different flavours and colours on
display fromboth islands.The Association offered samples
of over five types of honey, demonstrated the equipment
used at apiaries and explained how they collaborate with
local government to assist in the safe removal of hives from
public spaces and the proposed implementation of pol-
linator corridors using bee friendly trees. One of the most
alarming indicators of our environmental crisis is the sharp
decline in wild honey bees. Without these hard workers
pollinating our trees, food security cannot be guaranteed.
Farmers from as far as Rio Claro attended the expo,
offering a glimpse at adaptive agricultural methods.
Fruits which were previously relegated to colder climes,
now flourish in our warmer temperatures. Strawberries,
nectarines and peaches were amongst those on offer, the
farmers patiently explained proper techniques to care and
harvest these foreign goods. Nestled between them were
familiar plants, a pommecythere tree with young fruits and
citrus trees, the smooth green leaves of a lime tree easily
AClimate of
B Y A V A H
A young visitor to techAGRI is captivated
by a rabbit at the Wildlife Zoo.
PHOTO: KEYON MITCHELL
Senator Avinash Singh, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, reaches out to touch “Coco” the rabbit, mascot
of the expo, while UWI St Augustine Campus Principal Professor Brian Copeland (centre) looks on. Taking in the proceedings from behind Professor
Copeland are Campus Librarian Mr Frank Sooden (left) and Deputy Principal Professor Indar Ramnarine (right).
PHOTO: GUYTN OTTLEY
“We are battling a national and regional inertia around agriculture.
And we are trying to change that around. It is in that vein that we
have the techAGRI Expo every year. We want to bring people on
campus and show them what agriculture has to offer. That’s one way
we can try to change their outlook and sensitise them, as well as
show them the work The University of the West Indies is doing. We
want them to know this is not an ivory tower. They can and should
come here.” Dr Wayne Ganpat, Dean of the Faculty of Food and
Agriculture, UWI St Augustine.
PHOTO: GUYTIN OTTLEY
