IICA Donates Irrigation Inputs through the Vetiver Grass Project
On Monday 28th the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) donated an eight hundred (800) gallons tank and some inputs (dripline materials) to Neil Gomes, owner of the Anointed Farm. This presentation was done by Craig Thomas, IICA National Specialist.
Mr. Gomes participated in the ‘Climate Smart Agriculture Training’ a component under the regional project entitled “Strengthening Coastal and Marine Climate Resilience through Upland and Coastal Ecosystem Based Adaptation and Community Engagement”. The project seeks to intervene in upland communities to reduce non-climatic stressors affecting marine-coastal health through the implementation of the Vetiver System (VS), a plant-based solution, which uses vetiver grass as a bioengineering tool to manage many soil and water related challenges.
The sessions which was executed in March, 2022 focused on Soil and Water Conservation methods whereby in-field and indoor locations were used to execute the 2-day training sessions. The trainings were facilitated by Dr. Chaney St. Martin and Mrs. Nekelia Gregoire Carai, they were supported by technicians Bradbury Browne of CARDI and Victor Harris of MOA/GARDC provided support in the execution and setup of some of the training components. In-field training was executed on selected farmer fields and vetiver installation sites where possible. In-field activities focused on observing farm layout and points of interest related to climate risk, soil health, and EbA, establishing a pattern for the collection of representative soil samples, proper soil sampling techniques, physical and biological soil analysis, and collection of indicator plants.
It’s beyond that backdrop that a caucus of farmers were selected as beneficiaries to receive tangible climate smart inputs to support their production. “IICA believes that the donation will assist to enhance Mr. Gomes production, as we are aware the harsh climatic conditions in Antigua and Barbuda is normally prolonged dry conditions and the drip irrigation method would help to mitigated these conditions” Thomas said. He continued by thanking Mr. Gomes for his interest and participation in the short training course and hoped that the items would be utilized well.
In response to the kind and timely gesture Mr. Gomes indicated that not only will he be using the inputs to optimize production on his farmer but he will be showing other farmers how other components can be used to harvest water and properly store it so that during the dry season production can still continue even though it will be at a lower production rate. Additionally, He insisted that he was on board with the quest for Food Security and the Import reduction 2025 goal. “I want to thank IICA for the opportunity in being trained and the exposure to the Vetiver Project especially pertaining to the Cooks Landfill mangrove swamp protection against upland erosion and leaching of toxic chemicals,” said Gomes.
To enhance the preparedness of Caribbean communities to adapt to the uncertainties of the upcoming dry season and broader climate change technicians, farmers, and other interested community members from rural areas received this timely training from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) under the Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) project supported by Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) . This Project is regional externally funded by Caribbean Biodiversity Fund EbA Project whereby the GARD Centre is the main beneficiary in Antigua and Barbuda. The project is also replicated in three other islands in the region namely St. Lucia, Dominica and Tobago.