Twenty participants received hands-on training in composting during a one-day demonstration workshop held in Dennery Village on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
The workshop was hosted by the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, under the Enhancement of Efficiency in the Production-Distribution Supply Chain of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector Project (Seven Crops Programme), and White House Sports Club in Dennery.
During the workshop, Thaddeus Constantine, Chief Agri-Enterprise Development Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, shared theoretical and practical information on how to create organic fertilizers using discarded waste. Ideally, the workshop focused on using fish entrails discarded by village fishermen to convert to plant fertilizer.
With Dennery being one of Saint Lucia’s popular fishing villages, organizers are hoping that the training workshop inspires participants to create linkages by turning waste into a lucrative business.
“The twenty participants, including fishermen, fish vendors and farmers, were taught how to use fish guts and other waste to make a compost,” said Kaymer Propheth, Assistant Project Coordinator of the Seven Crops Project. “The overall objective of this training was to provide other forms of income for both fishermen and farmers. The compost material can be used to make fertilizers which can be used on crops, so if there’s that collaboration between the farmers and the fishers, this can be a beautiful venture with great economic value for both parties.”
By definition, a compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and manure. The resulting mixture is rich in plant nutrients and beneficial organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and fungi.
The Second Term of the Seven Crops Project runs from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026, with the objective of strengthening Saint Lucia’s agricultural capacity building. The five-year programme is being sponsored by Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF) and seeks to promote increased production and consumption of local produce while reducing the food import bill.