Food security, main theme at AgriExpo

TECHAgri Expo 2018 will be hosted by the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The UWI, St Augustine campus from Thursday until Sunday and according to Dr Ganpat, the Dean of the Faculty, the goal is to raise the profile of agriculture nationally and regionally, stressing less on the drudgery that has typically been associated with food production and projecting the scientific methods which are presently available.

If people can be introduced to the technology that now exists in food production, they might encourage their children to pursue a career in agriculture, the Faculty said in a release issued yesterday.

It is a field that can never be saturated, since there are so many dimensions to explore. And this is exactly what techAgri Expo will be highlighting. This year, some emphasis will be placed on Food Security and the many opportunities available for us to address this issue at both the household and national levels.

A special booth will be hosted by the Faculty to highlight its dynamic, innovative work, research and programmes. Students of the Faculty will also have a booth of their own to showcase their entrepreneurial talents. There will be guided tours to various parts of the Faculty, including the National Herbarium, where samples of every species of plant existing in our country is stored and the Cocoa Research Centre of The UWI, where one will see and taste products made from our world famous cocoa.

There will be over 100 booths at the Expo displaying the different facets of agriculture. Booths will showcase all the valued added products in “The Entrepreneurs Village”.

Here you will find the locally made soaps, candles, jewelry from paper, coconut oil, jams, wines, cassava flour, sweet potato flour and baked products from them. Flavoured ponche de crème and local teas such as orange peel, fever grass, and bamboo. Chocolate booths will offer locally manufactured chocolate products, as well as chocolate beverages. There will also be a number of handicraft booths, all showcasing the creative genius of the people. On sale also will be lots of vegetables, meat and milk. So patrons can make their Sunday market at the Expo.

The “Food Village” will feature the creativity of our people – patrons will be getting chows made from exotic fruits, cane juice, local honey and juices from local fruits. There will be plants and seedlings on sale – horticultural, exotic fruit trees including nutmeg, mauby, canistel, Moringa and Neem.

Farming equipment and machinery will be on display for sale– tractors, brush cutters, chemicals, poultry equipment. The Faculty of Engineering will feature small, appropriate machinery developed for island-food production systems. Over 3,000 students and teachers have registered to attend, from schools located as far as Matelot, Cedros, Moruga, Guayaguayare and Biche. These students will be given tours to see vermicomposting, the National Herbarium and the Periurban Centre, where there will be displays of aquaponics and hydroponics systems.

The expo will be held on the Main Administration Building West Field. Patrons can enter from the North Gate by the tunnel. There is an admission fee of $25 for adults and $15 for children.