24 Oct 2016

Caribbean Week of Agriculture

Addis Alem Co-opAgri-Business, Crop Production, Technology

The 14th edition of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), took place in the Cayman Islands from 24 – 28 October, 2016. The event attracted farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, policy-makers, development partners and representatives from producer organisations, financial institutions, the private sector and the tourist and hospitality trade. Participants were exposed to CropGuard as an innovative system that is being applied to support producers within the agricultural value chain, and create new knowledge-based visualizations. Read More “Caribbean Week of Agriculture” »

3 Jul 2016

Green Knowledge Fair

Addis Alem Co-opAgro-processing, Crop Production, Land Degradation, Training

From 2 – 3 June, 2016, the Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Conference Centre was transformed into a green space. The two-day Green Knowledge Fair, held under the theme “Green It: Preserving the Present for the Future: Beyond 50” was a significant event, as it brought together project beneficiaries and key stakeholders to show the tangible results of SGP’s work to support the environment over the last three years. Read More “Green Knowledge Fair” »

14 Jan 2016

A Co-operative Enterprise – Business with a Difference

Anthony NurseAgricultural Marketing, Co-operative Movement

During the latter half of the month of December 2015, persons traversing the environs of the Wesburn Plaza located at the junction of Baxters Road and Westbury Road (the blue complex with the large Co-op signage opposite the traffic lights) would have noticed the addition of a new enterprise to the business landscape in the area.

In keeping with the ideals of the co-operative spirit, this venture provides an area where a number of co-operatives share a central location. The venture came about through collaboration with the Barbados Co-operative Business Association which serves as an umbrella group for a number of local co-operatives.

Within this location, the Addis Alem Co-operative Society Ltd. has recently opened a retail outlet as part of our continued efforts to serve our valued customers as well as to ensure that the public has access to a range of high quality local produce, condiments and locally produced value-added products. As part of the shopping experience we also offer customers a choice of organic or inorganic produce and products.

We, the Board and members of the Addis Alem Cooperative Society Ltd., see this move as very much needed as there has been a glaring absence of a central location where persons can go to obtain products produced by our local co-operative movement.

We would therefore like to take this opportunity to invite locals and visitors alike to take the time to venture to our location and take advantage of our quality products at unbeatable prices with a customer service that is fit for royalty.

15 Oct 2015

BAREP Progress Report

Addis Alem Co-opClimate Change, Land Degradation, Projects0 Comment

The Blended Agroforestry Renewable Energy Project (BAREP) is in implementation phase and developments are underway. The site visit was conducted by the UNDP GEF SGP Barbados to follow-up the report. The National Coordinator and Programme Assistant toured the site and facilities and made recommendations for consideration.

The land degradation problems in the Scotland District result from geological and anthropogenic factors. The soil types in the Scotland District consist of soils derived from sandstones and Scotland clays. Heavy rainfall on the relatively high slopes increases the intensity of the surface runoff contributing to soil erosion. Therefore, removal and reduction of the natural vegetative cover for agriculture renders the topsoil more susceptible.

With this in mind, care has been taken to prevent the stripping of the entire vegetative cover during the land rehabilitation process. Shade houses have been built to ensure that selected varieties of planting materials can be propagated and supplied on a continuous basis.

Additionally, unsustainable land use practices such as excessive irrigation, the inappropriate use of fertilisers and pesticides generally contribute to land degradation. In some areas South of the farmland there are formations of erosional gullies and dried up water courses. The farmland use plan incorporates these major considerations along with other economic and human-work factors.

Another significant problem in the Scotland District is the lack of access to the potable water supply, agricultural irrigation and electricity grid. These constraints result in water scarcity and an over-reliance on fossil fuels for the generation of electricity. The project involves a water harvesting component which will supply irrigation system using solar electricity for pumping.

The main recommendation from the National Coordinator focused on the options for water storage. The BAREP Management Committee moves into the last quarter of 2015 with an aim on the targets of the plan, budget, schedule and objectives.

30 May 2015

National Agricultural Conference

Addis Alem Co-opProjects, Research, Technology0 Comment

The National Agricultural Conference is an annual technical conference that is hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture. It aims to bring together leading scientists, researchers and leaders in the agricultural sector to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of agricultural science and related specialisations.

The theme for the 2015 Conference was “Agriculture, Meeting Challenges for Increased Productivity and Sustainability.” The research presented by Troy Weekes from Addis Alem Co-operative Society Ltd. focused on the CropGuard technology platform and mobile app to help farmers reduce crop loss. The presentation proposed an integrated technology solution comprising a Mobile App, Web Dashboards and an Open Data API.

The Mobile App seeks to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by providing farmers with farmer-to-farmer and farmer-to-expert networking, in addition to pest diagnosis, treatment and control information. The Web Dashboards facilitate oversight, pest mapping and forecasting by extension services and research stakeholders. The Open Data API connects third-party apps to data and traffic resources to derive more information and add more digital value to the resources.

The development and testing of the CropGuard is up on the agenda throughout 2015 and into 2016. For more information on CropGuard’s development visit here.