This space was created to discuss and exchange ideas about promoting good nutrition, food security and related matters – Blogmaster
709 responses to “Carmeta’s Corner”
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Black Belly sheep project ‘doing well’
Barbados’ programme in partnership with Guyana to increase its Black Belly sheep stock is going well.
During an open day at the Animal Nutrition Centre, The Pine, St Michael, on Wednesday, consultant with the Barbados Black Belly Sheep Programme, Dr Leroy McClean, said Barbados was tapping Guyana’s resources to grow its indigenous Black Belly sheep stock.
“The reason why we’re working with Guyana is that we want to have access to resources to increase the population. Guyana has more land than you can think about; they have water, they have timber to make sheep houses, so they have the resources and what we’re trying to do is to utilise those resources.
“Also, in terms of exporting, we have a lab for artificial insemination in Greenland. What we want to do is to be able to sell semen. In the same way that we import semen for the dairy industry and the pig industry, we can sell semen for the sheep industry.
“That lab is fairly advanced and that is one of the things that we want to have in production. You see, we want to have as many revenue streams as possible – you’ve got the meat, you’ve got the leather, farmers can sell the manure, and we want to be able to sell the semen. So all these are revenue streams that form part of the industry,” he said.
McClean refuted rumours they had exported the entirety of the local sheep population as well as rumours the sheep were dying from foot rot, labelling such claims as “nonsense”.
The programme with Guyana relates to the St Barnabas Accord, a food security initiative under which Barbados has committed to sending 1 000 Black Belly sheep to Guyana. The ultimate goal is for Barbados to grow its sheep population to one million, which McClean said was still a viable endeavour.
Noting that Barbados had imported around 1.3 million kilogrammes of sheep meat at a cost of about $14 million per year over a six-year period, the consultant said one of the objectives of the programme was to reduce the island’s food import bill while creating an opportunity for farmers.
However, he said this would be impossible without first massively increasing the local sheep population.
McClean also mentioned an ongoing feed project utilising river tamarind and other grasses. He said there was a difference between bush and grass, where bush could have “any and everything” in it while certain grasses were ideal for creating food pellets. He made a public appeal for anyone with idle land to clear the bush and grow grass, adding they could contact the centre for advice. (CA)
Source: Nation
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Planted yams, cassava, pumpkins, hot peppers, okra and marjoram this month. The pumpkin seeds germinated in 8 days. Will plant sweet potatoes this week. We were a bit delayed because heavy rain in mid-May delayed ploughing, but we should be able to begin harvesting okras soon, pumpkins by mid-September and other food through to mid-January. I still have yams, dried cassava; and frozen cassava in the freezer. The mangoes are ready, and the pear trees are full, one pear tree is July to September and the other is October to January. In this increasingly unstable world I like to have some food on hand, because who knows when the ships cannot come in.
Crazy rich people.
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Never give up. Like my father I hope to continues planting something for me and others to eat until I am in my 90’s.
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Planted peppers both hot and sweet.
Planting done.
Now for a long, long season of weeding.
I call my ground work my personal gym.
Not vitamin D deficient. My doctor told me recently that she is increasingly seeing people who are vitamin D deficient. I guess that we have “arrived” and act as though we no longer need the sun the sustaining source of all life on earth so we go from air conditioned house to air conditioned can to air conditioned office to air conditioned gym, to air conditioned church, mall, supermarket etc. And yet vitamin D is free, free free. It only takes some sun shining on your skin. That’s all. But d sun doan shine indoors. If you haven’t done so yet, ask your doctor what vitamin D deficiency does to a human body. -
I love the “summer”
Mangoes sweet, sweet. Eating one now.
Pears eating nice, nice. Will have one at lunch.
Breadfruits in my natal village, almost ready.
Life sweet.All free of course.
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@Cuhdear
Glad to see you are still with us and planting as usual. I have finished planting and have started weeding last week. Started with the asparagus beds and moved to the garlics. I don’t have much weeding this year as I covered the big yard (allotment) with landscape fabric. Could not keep up with the weeds last year.
This year I decided to try broccolini instead of broccoli. Best thing I ever did. I pick the spears every two days. It grows from the base of the leaves, so I had to stop eating the leaves so spears can continue to come. haha.
I sold almost all of my sweet potato slips this year. Made $200. There was such a demand, I barely had six porakey ones left at the end. They are holding their heads up, so I may get something.
This is the second year in a row that the ‘owners’ have harvest all my haskap berries. The bushes are five feet tall and were laden. When I went to pick the bushes were clean. I let it drop in the garden that I was going to chop them down but I think I will prune and bring them home to replace the apple tree I chopped down last year.
I planted sweet peas and am getting snow peas. Its like when I planted beets and got chard. These seed houses are mixing up the seeds.
I planted three christophene vines and already have buyers lined up. I extended the trellis and am hoping it will hold up to the weight.
My peanuts have already flowered so I have to mound them soon. I have planted my beans three times. The squirrels have been digging them up and eating them. If these don’t come, I am giving up. -
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Same old!
Farmers ‘eager’ to start harvest
by TONISHA ROCK-YAW tonisharockyaw@nationnews.com
CHAIRMAN of the Barbados Sugar Industry Limited (BSIL) Mark Sealy is hoping the sugar harvest will begin next week.
He told the MIDWEEK NATION yesterday that while BSIL does not determine the official start of the crop, they are operationally ready once the signal is given.
“The Minister [of Agriculture Dr Shantal Munro-Knight] indicated at Agrofest last weekend that it could possibly be next week and we are working with that expectation,” Sealy said.
“We would have preferred to begin around February 15, which is our usual target, but we are a bit later than normal. That said, from our side, we are fully prepared to move once we are given the clearance.”
All set to go
He added that farmers, transport operators and harvesting teams were all in position.
“All of our farmers are ready, the truckers are ready to begin hauling. We’ve completed the necessary maintenance on the tipping bins and trailer bins and the harvesters are in place,” Sealy said. “Operationally, we are in good shape. There are no major logistical barriers preventing us from starting.”
Last season, BSIL delivered about 66 000 tonnes of cane to the factory and the chairman said the aim is to at least match that figure this year or slightly exceed it.
“For 2026, we are looking in the region of 67 000 tonnes, so essentially around the same level,” he said. “If we can achieve that, given the climatic challenges we experienced after the last crop, I would consider that a strong outcome.”
He acknowledged that extended dry conditions following the 2025 harvest were expected to impact yields, particularly ratoon cane, the crop that regenerates after the initial cut.
“After the crop finished last year, we had roughly three to four months where there was very little rainfall. That lack of rain is definitely going to affect the ratoon cane, because those canes rely heavily on consistent moisture to regenerate properly,” Sealy explained.
“Plant cane tends to be a bit more resilient because it has a longer growing period, approximately 18 months, but ratoon cane is more vulnerable to drought conditions. So we are realistic about the possibility that tonnage could be affected.”
Despite that, he said current field conditions were favourable for harvesting.
“At the moment, the weather has been relatively cooperative. We’ve had a few light showers, but nothing that would prevent us from going into the fields. You generally want dry conditions when you are cutting cane. If the fields are too wet, it creates access issues and slows operations. Right now, we are comfortable with where things stand.”
If the crop begins next week, Sealy is cautiously optimistic that it can be completed by late May or early June, a timeline he described as critical.
“Normally, when you start a crop, the first couple of weeks involve working through what we call teething problems at the factory. That is standard at the beginning of any harvest. Once those issues are ironed out, the grinding process becomes more consistent,” he said.
“We are hoping that even with the delayed start, we can finish by the end of May or early June. That would be ideal because it allows us to take advantage of the rainfall that typically follows, which is crucial for the 2027 crop.”
He also addressed last year’s introduction of the blue bin system, which was implemented to improve the efficiency of cane transportation and handling.
All on board
“The blue bins went well. Everybody is on board now, so it should be a lot smoother this year. As with any new system, there are always little things that need to be ironed out, but I am not aware of any major challenges. The farmers and the truckers handled it very well last year.”
BSIL had invested in blue bins and tipping bins as part of its effort to modernise cane handling and reduce inefficiencies.
“We purchased the blue bins and the tipping bins, so of course we will continue with that system this year. Now that everyone is familiar with how it works, we expect operations to flow even more smoothly this year.”
Sealy raised concerns about crop theft, warning that illegal cane cutting remains a threat to the industry’s output.
“We continue to see individuals at roundabouts selling cane and it is very clear that the majority of that cane is stolen. These persons are entering farmers’ fields without permission, cutting cane and selling it by the roadside. When people purchase that cane, they need to understand they are buying stolen goods,” he said.
He is calling for stronger enforcement of the Protection of Agricultural Products Act.
“We need the full application of the new crop theft act. It has to be enforced properly. When people cut out sections of a field, that cane does not make it to the factory. The factory cannot grind it, sugar cannot be produced from it and farmers lose income. Every tonne that is stolen is a tonne that is lost to the industry.”
Sealy warned that the cumulative impact of theft could affect overall crop performance for 2026.
“It may seem small when you look at a few bundles of cane being sold at a roundabout, but when you multiply that across several fields and several weeks, it becomes significant. Farmers invest heavily in preparing their lands and maintaining their crops. Theft undermines their efforts and ultimately affects national production figures.”
Source: Nation
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Major plans outlined to boost the foundational economic sector.
According to the new Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, they start with the introduction of students pursuing careers within the sector.
She gave an insight into the plan while delivering remarks at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and Accountability’s annual seminar, her first formal speech after being assigned to that ministry following the February 11th, 2026 General Election.
https://www.cbc.bb/main-stories/minister-outlines-major-plans-to-strengthen-agricultural-sector/
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