By S.Browne. Updated 6:01 p.m., Monday, August 24, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Two Vincentian farmers who participated in local demonstrations focused on soil health and climate resilient agriculture have received agricultural equipment and supplies to support their continued farming activities.
Vito Connell and Hazzard Joseph received the items from the International Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) on August 19, 2026, at the organisation’s delegation office in Kingstown, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation.
The handover formed part of the ADOPT Caribbean Soil Health for Climate Resilient Agriculture Project, a regional initiative aimed at strengthening soil health and promoting climate resilient agricultural practices in Guyana, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Connell and Joseph, along with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), participated in demonstration activities that tested soil health practices under local farming conditions. These included the use of compost and organic mulch.
Joseph said the project had changed her approach to farming and improved her knowledge and skills.
“I can say that I am a better farmer today than I was when the project started. I am grateful for the equipment and the other items. I am willing and will continue doing farming so that I can help with the food security of my country, so that we can make things better for all farmers,” she said.
Connell said his participation had also changed the way he viewed agriculture, particularly the need for farmers to make efficient use of their investments.
“I am grateful to be part of this project. It has changed my perspective of agriculture. Agriculture is very expensive, we cannot be spending money and not getting any returns, we have to chart the path for those behind, for productivity, food security and economic efficiency,” he said.
The agricultural kits include fungicides, insecticides, seeds, rain gauges, tensiometers, pH meters, water meters, hand lenses, sticky traps, thermometers, tarpaulins and other farming supplies.
A gasoline powered chaff cutter and silage machine was also provided to support the farmers’ agricultural activities.
IICA Representative in the Eastern Caribbean States Gregg Rawlins said the support is intended to address several aspects of agricultural production, including land preparation, soil management, water management, crop monitoring and pest and disease management.
“We are supporting farmers and agricultural institutions with tools to prepare and manage land, restore and improve soils, manage water, monitor crops, address pests and diseases, improve forage management, and strengthen crop production,” Rawlins said.
“This is exactly the kind of integrated approach that is required if we are to build a more resilient and productive agricultural sector,” he added.
Chief Agricultural Officer (Ag.) Marcus Richards, who attended the handover, described the initiative as an investment in the capacity, productivity and resilience of farmers, while highlighting the importance of soil health to the future of agriculture in the country.
“The Caribbean soil health and resilient agriculture project is therefore particularly relevant to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ future,” Richards said.
The handover also complements equipment to be provided to the Ministry of Agriculture under IICA’s Living Labs Platform for Productive Soil Restoration in the Americas Project (2025 FoHRSA).
That equipment includes a chipper and shredder, tiller and professional weed trimmer.
The ADOPT Caribbean Project combined technical training, field demonstrations and partnerships to strengthen capacity in soil health, agronomy, irrigation management and other climate smart agricultural practices.
The project was funded by the Government of New Zealand through its Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean (NZCSA LAC), as part of its contribution to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), and was administered through the Ag Emissions Centre.
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