(CARICOM)- Hundreds of stakeholders in the agriculture sector in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are participating in a six-week course aimed at building capacity in crop protection.
The distance learning, self-paced theoretical training course, which began on Monday, 26 January 2025, is a collaborative effort among the CARICOM Secretariat; Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), a regional institution; and COLEAD, a private sector not-for-profit organisation that is devoted to inclusive and sustainable agriculture.
The course is designed to meet the needs of professionals such as farm managers, horticultural producers; production managers, nurseries managers, crop protection managers, packing managers, service providers, and expert trainers. It is a response to the requirements of CARICOM Member States as CARICOM builds capacity to achieve the goals of its food security initiative – Vision 25 x 2025 + 5. The initiative aims to reduce the Region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by boosting regional agriculture, improving trade, and creating economic opportunities.
In remarks at the brief opening, Mr. Shaun Baugh, Programme Manager of the Agriculture Programme at the CARICOM Secretariat said the course is critical to the Region’s agriculture outlook, pointing out that crop protection affects yields, costs, and market access; ensures quality standards are met; and ultimately impacts livelihoods.
More than 300 persons have registered for the progressive course, and with close to 150 participants online at the opening, Mr. Baugh said he was encouraged by the response to the training which he said is an “investment in the Region.”
He praised the partnership which leverages the strengths of both CARDI and COLEAD, and which ensures that the course is properly grounded in regional realities while providing knowledge on global best practices.
By the end of the programme in March, participants will be armed with more information to recognise pests and diseases, understand when and how to intervene, and employ crop protection measures more efficiently, Mr. Baugh said.
Mr. Ansari Hosein, Executive Director of CARDI pointed to the importance of the topic against the background of crop losses from attacks by plant pests, trade and market access in terms of compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards and the impacts of climate change.
He told participants that they are contributing to the regional food security thrust. “When you protect our crops, you protect our people,” he said.
Participants will benefit from progressive learning via introductory concepts to advance integrated pest management strategies across three levels.
The introductory level introduces the concept of crop protection, helping learners understand key issues, categories of plant pests and diseases, and the role of chemical control within a crop protection strategy.The intermediate level deepens understanding of pest management by exploring harmful organisms, pest population dynamics, epidemiology, plant diseases, weed competition, and herbicide resistance, with a focus on maximising field and post-harvest yields.
The advanced level focuses on improving pest population management on farms through observation and sampling methods, intervention thresholds, integrated pest management techniques, and case-study-based strategy development.
