10
UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 23 APRIL, 2017
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
Mouth-watering fragrances perfume
the air across the
temporary village of white tents erected on the field west of
UWI’sMainAdministration Building, St. Augustine. A brisk
wind disperses the scents of avocado, cinnamon, nutmeg,
guava, coconut, mango, pumpkin and yes, chocolate. You’d
be forgiven for mistaking this for a culinary feast; the
lingering aromas are instead all from luxurious, organically
crafted, food-based bath soaps, all made by hand in Trinidad
and Tobago.
Lower down, booths tempt visitors with specialty
chocolates made fromTrinidad cocoa, pickles, condiments
and wines derived from exotic fruits and vegetables. For
gluten sensitive foodies, there is flour from sweet potato,
cassava, eddoes, and banana. A cornucopia of plant-based
products, some familiar, some completely surprising,
beguile visitors – animated children, inquisitive teens and
discerning adults alike.
These and many more agri-based products took centre
stage at the three-day exhibition “TechAGRI Expo 2017:
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation”
held in March, the brainchild of the Faculty of Food and
Agriculture.
“The reason for this exhibition is to raise the profile
of agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago and of the Faculty
of Food and Agriculture as the custodian for agricultural
learning, research and technology in the region,” explained
Dr. Wayne Ganpat, Dean of the Faculty of Food and
Agriculture.
He added that there are “secondary objectives” such as
getting young people interested in agriculture, getting them
to pursue a programme at the Faculty, as well as connecting
product developers to potential investors/business partners
so that their goods can be further commercialised.
Over the three days of the expo, visitors explored the
work being done in agriculture and food throughout the
nation, discovering agri-innovations, unique food-based
product applications, and the services of entrepreneurs and
organisations in the sector.
Dr. Ganpat views TechAGRI as part of his widermission
to revitalise the once vibrant Faculty of Agriculture he took
over in 2016, restoring it to its former position as the centre
for agriculture research and learning in the region, while
contributing to national development through progressive
food production techniques.
Seed Capital
TechAGRI Expo proposes a more innovative, profitable food industry
B Y S H E R R Y A N N S I N G H
A major setback to developing the sector is its image
problem. Food production is associated with back-breaking
work, often in unforgiveable natural conditions, tainted
by the legacies of slavery and indentureship. Its financial
returns can also be comparatively low compared to other
sectors.
While some only see these challenges, others see the
opportunities that abound. Dr. Ganpat, for instance, believes
the field is wide open for technology-driven innovation,
from growing to productivity to processing to marketing.
Indeed such was the buzz generated around techAGRI
2017 that capacity constraints forced the organisers to stop
further registration of secondary schools seeking to attend
on the opening day. Coming from as far as Moruga, Cedros,
Matelot and Tobago, an estimated 2,000 students thronged
the West Field exhibition area, among the first visitors to
delight in the scents and sights of an exotic range of locally-
commercialised agricultural goods.
After foraging the exhibition booths, students
were treated to demonstrations of technology in action.
Throughout the day, they were taken in groups on tours
of the labs and work spaces of the Faculty of Food and
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Senator Clarence
Rambharat speaking at the event.
PHOTOS: TERRY SAMPSON AND MAKANZWA PITA
Campus Principal Professor Brian Copeland speaks with an exhibitor from
the Agricultural Development Bank.
PHOTO: KEYON MITCHELL
