Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service - Jamaica
... and New Brunswick on the agricultural programme, this is the first time that workers are being requested for the hospitality and construction sectors. ...
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Sunday, January 13, 2008
More than 1000 Jamaicans to be Recruited for Jobs in Canada
SKUAST extends ATMA project to all districts in JK
GreaterKashmir.com (press release) - Srinigar,India
... and Department of Agriculture & allied department personnel gave rise to a project submitted under national innovative agricultural programme. ...
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Wednesday, January 9, 2008
WISARD Project Server - project# 2988
Development of the agricultural programme at the University of Asmara (CAAS-UoA). Funding, -, ALTERRA ( WUR: DLO: Alterra - Research Institute for the Green ...
WISARD Project Server - project# 2988
Development of the agricultural programme at the University of Asmara (CAAS-UoA). Funding, -, ALTERRA ( WUR: DLO: Alterra - Research Institute for the Green ...
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Secretariat for the Pacific Community's agricultural programme
Problem overview:
Awareness and visions: Countries that receive major income from agricultural need efficient agricultural practicing techniques otherwise problems of low productivity might occur from deteriorating environmental condition, such as poor soil quality. This is why the Secretariat for the Pacific Community's agricultural programme has been set up, to look agricultural practices in the region.
Training and educational initiatives: Training programmes have been successful in other countries in increasing productivity of the agricultural industry. The Pacific island region is also trying to improve its productivity and in the same time promote sustainable agricultural practices through the Secretariat for the Pacific Community's agricultural programme.
Background:
In terms of employment, agriculture is the major economic activity in all the Pacific islands. At present, increasing populations and inefficient subsistence garden techniques have lead to constant encroachment of farms onto marginal land areas unsuited to agriculture but essential for the protection of watersheds and biodiversity. There is an urgent need throughout the region to improve subsistence gardening techniques to increase productivity and reduce soil erosion and infertility.
The Secretariat for the Pacific Community's agricultural programme is the region's premier technical support, co-ordination and networking body. Headquartered in Suva, Fiji, the project has 18 professional officers and 13 support staff. There are subsidiary offices in Phonpei, FSM, Honiara, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa.
The major programmes include coconut and banana production and diversification, animal health and animal production, plant protection (primarily Integrated Pest Management, Biological Pest Control, and Quarantine procedures). The SPC maintains an active agriculture library, produces training manuals, and publishes a number of agricultural documents including the SPC Agricultural News, Agricultural Literature Alert, and Agriculture Alerts (on pest outbreaks). It maintains an agricultural database called PROCITE with 12,774 entries, and databases on sustainable development experts and information services. The SPC Information Service responds to requests by fax, telephone, correspondence, or email.
Government initiatives to increase local food production include integrated cultivation of fruit, vegetables and legumes with traditional mixed root crop farming systems and agroforestry. However, past training in intensive monoculture techniques, and the ready availability of pesticides and tractors, has subverted many of these attempts. The SPC and Pacific Sustainable Development Network Project actively promoted biological controls, preventative quarantine measures and integrated pest control.
The SPC also has a Community Education Training Centre (CETC), based in Suva, Fiji, that trains women community workers in sustainable development activities, including agriculture, food and nutrition, and media communication skills. CETC trainees participate in planning and implementing change in villages.
However, most farmers have serious debts and food prices have escalated rapidly in the past decade. Island farmers are more interested in paying off their loans as quickly as possible than improving local food supplies. Some farmers believe the new government attempts to promote sustainable agriculture is a ploy to let other farmers capture lucrative foreign market opportunities.
Awareness and visions: Countries that receive major income from agricultural need efficient agricultural practicing techniques otherwise problems of low productivity might occur from deteriorating environmental condition, such as poor soil quality. This is why the Secretariat for the Pacific Community's agricultural programme has been set up, to look agricultural practices in the region.
Training and educational initiatives: Training programmes have been successful in other countries in increasing productivity of the agricultural industry. The Pacific island region is also trying to improve its productivity and in the same time promote sustainable agricultural practices through the Secretariat for the Pacific Community's agricultural programme.
Background:
In terms of employment, agriculture is the major economic activity in all the Pacific islands. At present, increasing populations and inefficient subsistence garden techniques have lead to constant encroachment of farms onto marginal land areas unsuited to agriculture but essential for the protection of watersheds and biodiversity. There is an urgent need throughout the region to improve subsistence gardening techniques to increase productivity and reduce soil erosion and infertility.
The Secretariat for the Pacific Community's agricultural programme is the region's premier technical support, co-ordination and networking body. Headquartered in Suva, Fiji, the project has 18 professional officers and 13 support staff. There are subsidiary offices in Phonpei, FSM, Honiara, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa.
The major programmes include coconut and banana production and diversification, animal health and animal production, plant protection (primarily Integrated Pest Management, Biological Pest Control, and Quarantine procedures). The SPC maintains an active agriculture library, produces training manuals, and publishes a number of agricultural documents including the SPC Agricultural News, Agricultural Literature Alert, and Agriculture Alerts (on pest outbreaks). It maintains an agricultural database called PROCITE with 12,774 entries, and databases on sustainable development experts and information services. The SPC Information Service responds to requests by fax, telephone, correspondence, or email.
Government initiatives to increase local food production include integrated cultivation of fruit, vegetables and legumes with traditional mixed root crop farming systems and agroforestry. However, past training in intensive monoculture techniques, and the ready availability of pesticides and tractors, has subverted many of these attempts. The SPC and Pacific Sustainable Development Network Project actively promoted biological controls, preventative quarantine measures and integrated pest control.
The SPC also has a Community Education Training Centre (CETC), based in Suva, Fiji, that trains women community workers in sustainable development activities, including agriculture, food and nutrition, and media communication skills. CETC trainees participate in planning and implementing change in villages.
However, most farmers have serious debts and food prices have escalated rapidly in the past decade. Island farmers are more interested in paying off their loans as quickly as possible than improving local food supplies. Some farmers believe the new government attempts to promote sustainable agriculture is a ploy to let other farmers capture lucrative foreign market opportunities.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
In pictures: Unusual Lao cuisine
But for the people of Laos, this is the food they have always eaten. Alina Paul, who helps her husband Jerome Bossuet manage an agricultural programme for ...Laos - laos.blamfluie.com/archive.html
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Farmers’ Day - October 12
COLOMBO: Farmers who are considered the lifeblood of the nation will be honoured on Farmers’ Day which will be observed on October 12 as a national event this year as in previous years, says Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister Mailthripala Sirisena.
The national ceremony to mark Farmers’ Day will be held at the Maha Iluppallama Agriculture
Farmer's Day
Complex centred round the Field Crops Development Centre. A series of exhibitions including model farm plots and a series of cultural events will also be held from October 12 to 16 to coincide with Farmers’ Day celebrations.
As a part of these celebrations October 13 will be observed as Women Farmers’ Day, while October 14 will be Students’ Day, October 15 - Young Farmer’s Day and October 16 World Food Day.
One million Jak trees in three years
COLOMBO: One million Jak trees are to be planted on a countrywide scale within the next three years under a special programme formulated by the Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Development Ministry.
Jak plants raised at village level will be distributed among prospective cultivators under this programme which will promote environmental conservation and help meet future local demand for timber.
The Government has allocated Rs. 10 million for this programme, said Commissioner General of the Agrarian Services Development Department D.D. Waniganayaka.
Landslide threat
Indika POLKOTUWA
COLOMBO: Hill slopes in the western and South Eastern parts of the country may be subjected to landslides if the current heavy rains continued for several more days warned the Landside Study Unit of the National Building Research Organisation.
The Unit’s Geologist Samantha Kumara Bogahapitiya said hill slopes in Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kalutara, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya are liable to face this danger.
Help save this child
Walter Dayaratne Anuradhapura Dist. Spl. Corr.
Anuradhapura: Praneeth Chathuranga Bombuwalage, 16, a student at Anuradhapura Walisinghe Harischandra Maha Vidyalaya, is suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia (Fab Classification - AML - M4).
Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Dr. Upul Ekanayaka has recommended Bone Marrow Transplant for him and on his recommendation his parents have decided to take him to Apollo Specialty Hospital, 320, Mount Road, Chennai, India for the surgery. The full cost of the treatment is Rs. 6,000,000, but since initial treatments have been completed at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, it is now reduced to Rs. 4,000,000.
Since his parents could not afford the amount for the surgery, they appeal for public assistance to save their son. Contributions can be credited to Account No. 6888019 Praneeth Chathuranga Fund Super Grade Branch, Bank of Ceylon, Anuradhapura. His mother’s address is Reeta Aloysius, Chief Secretary Office, Anuradhapura. Contact Nos - 025-2237025, 077-6211575.
The national ceremony to mark Farmers’ Day will be held at the Maha Iluppallama Agriculture
Farmer's Day
Complex centred round the Field Crops Development Centre. A series of exhibitions including model farm plots and a series of cultural events will also be held from October 12 to 16 to coincide with Farmers’ Day celebrations.
As a part of these celebrations October 13 will be observed as Women Farmers’ Day, while October 14 will be Students’ Day, October 15 - Young Farmer’s Day and October 16 World Food Day.
One million Jak trees in three years
COLOMBO: One million Jak trees are to be planted on a countrywide scale within the next three years under a special programme formulated by the Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services Development Ministry.
Jak plants raised at village level will be distributed among prospective cultivators under this programme which will promote environmental conservation and help meet future local demand for timber.
The Government has allocated Rs. 10 million for this programme, said Commissioner General of the Agrarian Services Development Department D.D. Waniganayaka.
Landslide threat
Indika POLKOTUWA
COLOMBO: Hill slopes in the western and South Eastern parts of the country may be subjected to landslides if the current heavy rains continued for several more days warned the Landside Study Unit of the National Building Research Organisation.
The Unit’s Geologist Samantha Kumara Bogahapitiya said hill slopes in Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kalutara, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya are liable to face this danger.
Help save this child
Walter Dayaratne Anuradhapura Dist. Spl. Corr.
Anuradhapura: Praneeth Chathuranga Bombuwalage, 16, a student at Anuradhapura Walisinghe Harischandra Maha Vidyalaya, is suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia (Fab Classification - AML - M4).
Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Dr. Upul Ekanayaka has recommended Bone Marrow Transplant for him and on his recommendation his parents have decided to take him to Apollo Specialty Hospital, 320, Mount Road, Chennai, India for the surgery. The full cost of the treatment is Rs. 6,000,000, but since initial treatments have been completed at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, it is now reduced to Rs. 4,000,000.
Since his parents could not afford the amount for the surgery, they appeal for public assistance to save their son. Contributions can be credited to Account No. 6888019 Praneeth Chathuranga Fund Super Grade Branch, Bank of Ceylon, Anuradhapura. His mother’s address is Reeta Aloysius, Chief Secretary Office, Anuradhapura. Contact Nos - 025-2237025, 077-6211575.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Floods leave Glen Valley farm P150 000 poorer (19 January, 2006)
GABORONE - The recent rains that caused floods in various parts of Gaborone and surrounding areas have left a Glen Valley farm P150 000 poorer.
Greenland Agricultural Productions and Consultancys Managing Director Moses Phuti told BOPA that six out of seven tunnels of planted tomatoes and greenpepper were under water.
Phuti said the water took three days to dry up, killing plants worth P150 000 that were maturing.
He said the farm had a continuous plan, which is a 12-month cycle, of nurturing and harvesting the same crops, saying now that the crops were dead there was no choice but to plant again.
However, the CEDA-funded project was not experiencing the problem for the first time.
Since our first crop of September 2005, we have had few floods, especially during the December rains, but they were not as severe as the ones we experienced recently.
Phuti explained that their farm submerged even when it had not rained in their area, adding that when the Segoditswane River floods, its waters flow straight to the farm.
He said lands and housing minister Dikgakgamatso Seretse, whose ministry is the leasser, had inspected the damages and sympathised with them.
Phuti said they were expecting a visit from the ministry officials who had promised to find some permanent solution to the problem.
In addition, he said, they were not only concerned about the damages, but the market as well. He said the farms ambition was to stop vegetable imports into the country.
Currently, he said, the farms main customers were street vendors. We want to overcome the low quality tomato imports that come into our country, he said.
We have therefore, as farmers, decided to group ourselves to beat the imports.
Boago Moganani, the chief land utilisation officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry was working with the farm to find a solution to the flooding problem.
He said the aim was to promote agricultural production in Botswana. Moganani said the land on which Greenland Agricultural Productions is located was fertile but was unfortunate that it was threatened by the recurring floods.
He said the ministry was waiting for the land to dry before carrying out a detailed survey on how best to channel flood water.
Greenland Agricultural Productions and Consultancy is one of the 47 Glen Valley horticultural farms serviced under NAMPAADD and is located on a low land near Segoditswane River.
The company has spent more than P800 000 on construction and crop production. BOPA
Greenland Agricultural Productions and Consultancys Managing Director Moses Phuti told BOPA that six out of seven tunnels of planted tomatoes and greenpepper were under water.
Phuti said the water took three days to dry up, killing plants worth P150 000 that were maturing.
He said the farm had a continuous plan, which is a 12-month cycle, of nurturing and harvesting the same crops, saying now that the crops were dead there was no choice but to plant again.
However, the CEDA-funded project was not experiencing the problem for the first time.
Since our first crop of September 2005, we have had few floods, especially during the December rains, but they were not as severe as the ones we experienced recently.
Phuti explained that their farm submerged even when it had not rained in their area, adding that when the Segoditswane River floods, its waters flow straight to the farm.
He said lands and housing minister Dikgakgamatso Seretse, whose ministry is the leasser, had inspected the damages and sympathised with them.
Phuti said they were expecting a visit from the ministry officials who had promised to find some permanent solution to the problem.
In addition, he said, they were not only concerned about the damages, but the market as well. He said the farms ambition was to stop vegetable imports into the country.
Currently, he said, the farms main customers were street vendors. We want to overcome the low quality tomato imports that come into our country, he said.
We have therefore, as farmers, decided to group ourselves to beat the imports.
Boago Moganani, the chief land utilisation officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry was working with the farm to find a solution to the flooding problem.
He said the aim was to promote agricultural production in Botswana. Moganani said the land on which Greenland Agricultural Productions is located was fertile but was unfortunate that it was threatened by the recurring floods.
He said the ministry was waiting for the land to dry before carrying out a detailed survey on how best to channel flood water.
Greenland Agricultural Productions and Consultancy is one of the 47 Glen Valley horticultural farms serviced under NAMPAADD and is located on a low land near Segoditswane River.
The company has spent more than P800 000 on construction and crop production. BOPA
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Cariscience professor lauds Jagdeo Initiative (Monday, September 10th 2007)
Cariscience's Professor Harold Ramkissoon has lauded the Jagdeo Initiative for leading the Region's agricultural programme towards food security and sustainability.
According to a press release from the Government Information Agency Ramkissoon, following a meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo to discuss how the Region's science and technology drive could be improved said he was "very optimistic that we would see results from this initiative. I would like to see similar initiatives with respect to energy security." He said if food and energy security could be achieved in the Caribbean Community it would create an independent Region.
Themed 'Strengthening Agriculture for Sustainable Development' the objectives of the Initiative include alleviating binding constraints to the development of the sector and creating an enabling environment to encourage a revival of investment in agriculture. In keeping with this, an Agriculture Donors Conference held in Trinidad and Tobago in June, raised US$10M in pledges, from the Region, for the project.
An Investment Confer-ence is planned for November to further consolidate the financial commitments made.
According to a press release from the Government Information Agency Ramkissoon, following a meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo to discuss how the Region's science and technology drive could be improved said he was "very optimistic that we would see results from this initiative. I would like to see similar initiatives with respect to energy security." He said if food and energy security could be achieved in the Caribbean Community it would create an independent Region.
Themed 'Strengthening Agriculture for Sustainable Development' the objectives of the Initiative include alleviating binding constraints to the development of the sector and creating an enabling environment to encourage a revival of investment in agriculture. In keeping with this, an Agriculture Donors Conference held in Trinidad and Tobago in June, raised US$10M in pledges, from the Region, for the project.
An Investment Confer-ence is planned for November to further consolidate the financial commitments made.
CARDI (Tuesday 11 September, 2007)
In the context of advancing the plan to further diversify and strengthen the non-sugar agricultural sector in the country, Cabinet discussed the role of the CARDI (Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute) in assisting the success of our local agricultural programme. Cabinet was updated by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture on the need to support the restructuring of CARDI so that our goals could be more efficiently and more effectively achieved.
Cabinet was pleased with the progress made in the agricultural diversification programme and committed strong support for the Minister of Agriculture’s request for land and other resources so that the sector may exceed its last year’s performance when the output in the production of fruits and vegetables grew by 134%.
Cabinet was pleased with the progress made in the agricultural diversification programme and committed strong support for the Minister of Agriculture’s request for land and other resources so that the sector may exceed its last year’s performance when the output in the production of fruits and vegetables grew by 134%.
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