The workshop which took place in Barbados from September 5th - 7th, 2012, was developed by GWP-C to build capacity for improved water management through the application of water use efficiency techniques in agriculture in the Caribbean.
A short opening ceremony preceded the start of the workshop which included remarks by Ms. Avril Alexander, Regional Coordinator of GWP-C and representatives from the CARDI. The feature address was given by Mr. Charleston Lucas, Chief Agricultural Officer (Acting) in the Ministry of Agriculture of Barbados. Mr. Lucas in his address, stressed that there can be no food security without land and water security. Additionally, he drew on the relationship between world hunger and the inability of persons to grow their own food. He explained that optimising water use is critical to agriculture, especially given the high price of food. He cited the great significance of irrigation particularly in the dry season to ensure production levels (supply) remain stable to keep prices down.
Mr. Lucas further highlighted that a major challenge is to minimise water use while at the same time maximising crop output. He explained to workshop participants that improving water use efficiency would allow for water conservation and lower costs; noting production costs in agriculture are high in Barbados which is resulting in low competition with other countries.
Participants are seen here during group exercises at the Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in Agriculture workshop.
Following the opening ceremony, participants were very motivated to embark on their three-day training exercise. The workshop’s format allowed for discussions among participants and facilitators of the course who were Mr. Stanley Rampair, a Senior Irrigation Consultant and Dr. Leslie Simpson, Natural Resources Management Specialist at the CARDI. Additionally, the course included various group exercises to promote interaction and critical thinking.
At the workshop, participants received comprehensive training in the areas of soil/water relationships, irrigation, and water use efficiency for the agriculture sector. Also included in the workshop were field visits to an irrigation water collection pond from which farmers pump water; a trip to the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC); and a visit to a farm where participants saw on-farm irrigation practices.
Scenes from the Field Visits
One of the workshop’s facilitators, Mr. Rampair is seen here discussing aspects of irrigation with workshop participants on the field trip.
Farmer is seen here turning on his irrigation system to demonstrate to the workshop participants.
Irrigation water storage facility
Pond with irrigation water
An evaluation conducted at the end of the workshop indicated that all participants felt that the training received was relevant to their work and improved their understanding of the importance of water use efficiency in the agriculture sector. Also critical to the evaluation was the feedback from the agriculture practitioners on how the training course could be enhanced. GWP-C will use the valuable feedback received from the WUE training in Barbados to continue to work to improve the training course for the region.
The WUE workshop carried out by the GWP-C and the CARDI was the first in Barbados. Previous instalments of the workshop have been held in St. Kitts and Jamaica between 2009 and 2011.
Participants that successfully completed the three-day course were awarded a certificate on the last day of the workshop.