STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION HELD ON SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATION IN SVG
Over 97 farmers and other stakeholder representatives operating in the Richmond area in Agricultural Region 1, participated in a stakeholder consultation on irrigation infrastructure development on Thursday.
The consultation was held at the Fitz Hughes Learning Resource Centre and forms part of the initiative by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization of the (FAO), through its Subregional Office for the Caribbean (FAO SLC), to support national efforts to strengthen climate- resilient agriculture and promote sustainable water management by improving irrigation infrastructure and related management practices.
The current mission is the second phase of assessment that is focused on preparing a robust pre- feasibility proposal and order-of-magnitude budget for one -100-acre pilot irrigation scheme in the Richmond Valley.
Deputy Chief Agricultural officer, Colville King, told the farmers that the proposed initiative would aid in increasing production and productivity; reduce cost of production and also increase competitiveness of this country’s produce.
FAO Irrigation Infrastructure Specialist, Emilano Narpe presented the proposed irrigation concept and invited feedback. There was consensus among stakeholders in support of the proposed irrigation project and they also shared their perspectives to better define project area and scope, as well as identify and mitigate any identified risks.
Among the concerns identified were: the potential impact, if any, on tri tri fishing; the possibility that a single water source may be insufficient and hence the need to explore more than one water sources
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation, the Honorable Israel Bruce, also attended the consultation and was warmly welcomed by the attendants. In his remarks, Minister Bruce thanked farmers for their warm welcome and emphasized the Government’s focus on the green economy as one of its four pillars for development.
The Minister highlighted a number of priorities that would be immediately addressed, including:
- Marketing (local, regional and international) and pricing
- Tightening legislation, including stiffer penalties to address praedial larceny
- Revamping the Farmer ID registration system, following receipt of a comprehensive report from the Farmer Support Company, which currently manages the system.
- A robust infrastructure programme to address the poor conditions of feeder roads
- Leveraging science and technology to increase youth and students’ involvement in agriculture
- Ongoing consultations with farmers on various issues.
Farmers also shared their frustration and the need for solutions on a number of issues including, low produce prices; the imbalance of project investments, with most going to the windward side of the country and little to the leeward side; the need to regularize land titles; the need to update compensation rates for crop damage and the need to move away from classroom training to more practical exercises.