The Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) hosted a Basic Tiller Maintenance Training Workshop recently, aimed at making extension officers and its agricultural staff more knowledgeable about using and maintaining tillers.
The activity was held on Wednesday morning, March 12, 2025, at the Union Demonstration Farm, where nearly a dozen participants, including two extension officers, were briefed on basic technical procedures related to using and maintaining the farm equipment.
The Taiwan Technical Mission hosts training workshops regularly to build capacity among farmers and extension officers. These training workshops fall under the “Enhancing the Efficiency of Production-Distribution Supply Chain in Fruit and Vegetable Sector in Saint Lucia Project (Second Term)”, commonly known as the “Seven Crops Project”.
Mr. Edward Wilson, Production Officer for the Seven Crops Project, said that hosting the training workshop was essential since it met some very important objectives.
“We received some tillers under the Seven Crops Project, which we find are essential in reducing the labour costs for farmers,” he said. “Due to the high cost of the machines, we believe that if our staff and extension officers have a basic understanding of operating and maintaining them, the lifespan of the machines can be preserved. Also, safety is a great concern, so using the machines efficiently would prevent mishaps.”
Edward said that under the Seven Crops Project, the Taiwan Technical Mission provides a tiller service to farmers at $50.00 per hour. The Taiwan Technical Mission team works through the extension officers to whom requests are made by farmers interested in having their farms tilled.
Workshop facilitator, Brandon Joseph, shared with the participants basic preventative maintenance tips for tillers, including how to conduct preventative maintenance checks, and what tools to use when conducting such checks. He believes that being knowledgeable saves time, money, and equipment.
“Preventative maintenance allows users of the machinery to detect and resolve minor issues, thereby preventing major issues that can be costly and cause inconvenience,” Joseph explained.