National Agricultural Technicians to participate in Regional Virtual Sweet Potato Training Programme

Fourteen Agriculture Technicians from Antigua and Barbuda are set to participate in a regional virtual training programme focused on sweet potato identification, morphological characterization and cataloguing.

The local cohort will join 46 other participants from across the Caribbean under the Next Generation Sweet Potato Project, a regional initiative aimed at strengthening technical capacity in crop research and genetic resource management.

The training will be facilitated by Dr. Ronald Robles of the International Potato Center (CIP). It comprises 10 hours of theoretical instruction delivered through five interactive virtual sessions, each approximately two hours long. Sessions are scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday from February 24 to March 3, 2026.

The course curriculum is structured to build both conceptual understanding and applied competencies. Session One will provide an overview of sweet potato genetic diversity. Session Two and Three will focus on the characterization of foliage and root traits respectively. Session Four will cover data analysis methods, while Session Five will introduce molecular tools for genotyping.

Following the virtual component, participants in Antigua and Barbuda will engage in a structured in-field practical session on March 23, 2026 at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) field station. The hands-on exercise is designed to consolidate the theoretical concepts and technical techniques covered during the online sessions.

The initiative seeks to enhance regional expertise in sweet potato research and development, with particular emphasis on improved cataloguing and utilization of genetic resources. Strengthening these capacities is considered critical for advancing food security and agricultural innovation across the Caribbean.

The Next Generation Sweet Potato Project is being implemented and coordinated by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Funding is provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the European Union.

The four-year project is being implemented in collaboration with Ministries of Agriculture and CARDI in Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and St. Lucia, reinforcing a coordinated regional approach to crop improvement and sustainable agricultural development.