Carib Scope

分类： agriculture

  • How Sterile Flies Helped Stop a Livestock-Killing Pest

    How Sterile Flies Helped Stop a Livestock-Killing Pest

    U.S. Department of Agriculture officials have added three new confirmed cases of New World screwworm infestation, pushing the total number of documented infections across the region to five, according to a 2026 update on the spread of this deadly livestock pest. The newly detected cases include three calves and a goat in southern Texas, plus an infected domestic dog in neighboring New Mexico — a discovery that carries significant warning signs for agricultural authorities. Critically, the infected New Mexico dog had no documented travel history to either Texas or Mexico, indicating that the pest may have already spread beyond the small, currently identified cluster of cases that officials have tracked so far.

    The New World screwworm, the larval stage of a parasitic fly species, differs dramatically from common scavenger fly species. Instead of feeding on decaying dead organic matter, these larvae burrow into the open wounds of warm-blooded hosts and consume living flesh to grow. Adult female flies lay their eggs in any open cut or sore on hosts ranging from commercial cattle and wild game to family pets, and if an infestation is left untreated, it can kill the host animal in just a matter of days. While the vast majority of cases impact animal populations, rare instances of human infestation have also been recorded, adding a small public health risk to the agricultural threat.

    For more than half a century, U.S. government agricultural programs successfully kept the New World screwworm contained far to the south, restricted to areas below the southern tip of Panama. The core of this long-standing control effort is a time-tested population suppression strategy: mass-breed sterile male screwworm flies, then release them over at-risk regions via aircraft. When wild fertile females mate with these released sterile males, they produce no viable offspring, so over successive generations the wild pest population gradually collapses. This innovative pest management strategy worked so well that it completely eradicated the New World screwworm from North America and most of Central America by the late 20th century.

    But the recent detections of new infestations confirm a worrying new trend: the deadly pest is expanding its range northward once again, after decades of successful containment. In direct response to the five confirmed cases now documented across Texas and New Mexico, U.S. agricultural officials have rolled out a two-pronged action plan to stop the spread. First, authorities will deploy mass releases of sterile male flies into all currently affected and high-risk adjacent regions to suppress the growing wild population. Second, officials are moving forward with plans to construct a new dedicated sterile fly production facility in Edinburg, Texas, to support sustained control efforts closer to the current infestation zone. The pest is not a new threat to Central American nations: Belize has a history of recorded infestations across the country, with commercial cattle producers bearing the brunt of economic losses from past outbreaks.

  • Samenwerking en innovatie versterken duurzame landbouw

    Samenwerking en innovatie versterken duurzame landbouw

    On May 23, a hands-on training program focused on modern crop protection strategies and innovative agricultural technology wrapped up in Para District, bringing new practical skills and sustainable production insights to 31 farmers from Uitkijkpolder and surrounding areas. Designed to boost both productivity and environmental sustainability in local agricultural production, the program was jointly organized by four stakeholders: Frits Fresh Impex, RamBhai Impex, HJ-Agro N.V., and the WUSC Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean Project. The entire training session was hosted on the personal plot of experienced agricultural expert Frits Bechoe, located along Ds. Martin Luther Kingweg.

    Unlike traditional classroom-only agricultural training, the program integrated theoretical instruction with on-site field practice, giving farmers the chance to translate new knowledge directly into actionable skills. Agronomist Shaniza Pirbux led the first segment of the training, delivering a detailed walkthrough of the safe and responsible application of crop protection products. She emphasized several core practices that are often overlooked by small-scale local producers: accurately reading chemical labels to understand usage requirements, measuring precise dosages to avoid over-application that harms both soil and produce, using required personal protective equipment to safeguard farmers’ health, and implementing rotation strategies to prevent pests and pathogens from developing resistance to common control measures.

    Even steady rainy weather did not dampen participants’ enthusiasm for hands-on learning. After completing the indoor theoretical session, the entire group moved out into the field to observe and practice the pest and disease control methods Pirbux outlined, working through real on-farm scenarios together to deepen their understanding.

    In the second half of the training, Veldhuizen from GeoDrone Solutions introduced participants to the cutting-edge application of drone technology for precision agriculture. He explained how modern drones paired with specialized agricultural mapping software can quickly identify hidden drainage issues across large plots, map variations in soil moisture content, and pinpoint uneven crop growth that would be difficult to spot from the ground. This data-driven approach allows farmers to target water, fertilizer, and pest control interventions exactly where they are needed, cutting input costs while boosting overall crop yields. For participating smallholder farmers, exposure to this innovative technology opens up new pathways to transition to more efficient, sustainable production models that align with global and regional goals for low-impact agriculture.

  • Pilot integrates honeybee pollination into farming

    Pilot integrates honeybee pollination into farming

    Against a backdrop of mounting challenges to global food systems and local apiculture, two Barbadian agricultural organizations have launched an ambitious six-month pilot initiative aimed at integrating professional managed honeybee pollination services into the island nation’s mainstream farming practices. Unveiled to coincide with World Bee Day, the collaborative project between the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the Barbados Apiculture Association (BAA) will conduct rigorous, data-focused scientific trials across a one-acre dedicated agricultural site. Over the duration of the program, researchers will quantify the exact impact of managed pollination on crop yield, produce quality, and overall crop performance, with initial research focused on high-value cucurbit crops including cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins. The launch of this initiative comes at a make-or-break moment for Barbados’s apiculture sector, which is currently battling multiple interconnected threats: soaring import costs for essential beekeeping equipment, widespread praedial larceny of hives, and the growing disruptions of a changing climate. The crisis deepened recently when extensive wildfires swept across the island, destroying dozens of managed hives and eliminating large swathes of the natural foraging habitat that wild and managed bees depend on for survival. At the official launch ceremony, BAA president Graham Belle framed the project as a strategic turning point for Barbadian agriculture, positioning it as a shift toward data-informed, sustainable farming that directly protects the livelihoods of the island’s smallholder and commercial farmers. “Gathering here on World Bee Day, we are reminded that pollinators are far more than just wild insects moving through our landscape,” Belle noted in his address. “They are foundational to Barbados’s economic, nutritional, and environmental infrastructure. This research is not centered solely on increasing honey output. Instead, it aims to quantify the economic and ecological value that apiculture delivers as a critical support service for mainstream agriculture. By investing in our local beekeeping sector today, we are paving the way for smarter, more sustainable farming, reducing our reliance on imported food and agricultural inputs, and building the foundation for Barbados’s native honey to establish itself as a premium global brand.” Under the partnership structure, CARDI is providing full financial and administrative backing for the pilot, while BAA contributes on-the-ground technical expertise and hands-on management of the trial site. CARDI’s country representative for Barbados, Christina Pooler, emphasized that the trial will act as a critical proof of concept to demonstrate the concrete, measurable benefits that pollinator integration brings to the island’s entire food system. Beyond just tracking crop yields, the project will also monitor long-term hive health and track key environmental stressors impacting bees, including local wind patterns and pesticide drift from adjacent farmland and residential areas. “Around the world, there is an urgent growing need to expand both the population and diversity of pollinator species to make our global food systems more resilient, productive, and adaptable to climate change,” Pooler explained. “This project will act as a catalyst to document the economic and ecological value of apiculture here in Barbados, with the empirical data we collect set to guide future research and shape evidence-based policy recommendations for the island’s beekeeping sector. By pairing rigorous scientific research with public outreach and training, we aim to strengthen the critical connection between academic science and on-the-ground agricultural practice, empowering both farmers and beekeepers to take action to protect our shared food security.” A core, often overlooked component of the six-month initiative is hands-on public outreach and practical logistical training for both crop producers and new beekeepers. This training program is designed to bridge the long-standing communication and collaboration gap between Barbados’s crop farming community and its beekeeping sector, while also working to reduce widespread public fear and misinformation about bees. The collaborative, community-centered approach of the project has earned widespread acclaim from local agricultural leaders. James Paul, chief executive officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), noted that the island’s farming community has been calling for exactly this type of targeted, applied research to address pressing on-the-ground production challenges for years. “One of the top requests our sector has made consistently in recent years is for more applied research, where research institutions work directly alongside our farming community to solve the problems we actually face,” Paul explained. “It’s incredibly encouraging to see researchers stepping up to partner with farmers, learn firsthand about the challenges we navigate, and work collaboratively to improve outcomes. When this trial concludes, hundreds of local beekeepers across the country will be able to draw on its findings to grow and strengthen their own operations.” As the trial enters its initial implementation phase, both CARDI and BAA have shared long-term ambitions: they hope the empirical data collected through the pilot will lay the groundwork for a permanent, national framework to embed managed pollination services into Barbados’s official national agricultural strategy, creating a more resilient and food-secure future for the entire island.

  • 35 Stann Creek Farmers Trained in Poultry Biosecurity

    35 Stann Creek Farmers Trained in Poultry Biosecurity

    On a Wednesday in mid-May 2026, 35 small-scale and commercial poultry farmers gathered from all corners of Belize’s Stann Creek District to participate in a targeted training program focused on poultry disease prevention and agricultural biosecurity. This capacity-building initiative forms a core part of Belize’s long-standing proactive strategy to shield its domestic poultry industry from the growing outbreak threats that continue to impact the broader Central American region.\n\nAccording to Belize’s Ministry of Agriculture, the workshop delivered practical, hands-on instruction that covered critical topics including identification of common poultry pathogens, evidence-based prevention protocols, rigorous on-farm sanitation practices, and the long-term production benefits of building and maintaining robust biosecurity frameworks. Unlike generic informational sessions, the training was designed to give farmers actionable tools they can implement immediately on their own operations.\n\ Lionel Irving, a representative from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, led a key segment of the training focused on systematic disease surveillance. During his address to the participating farmers, Irving emphasized the outsized role that on-the-ground producers play in the early detection of potential outbreaks, as well as the critical importance of rapid reporting to agricultural health authorities to stop the spread of disease before it becomes widespread.\n\nThe timing of this training is particularly relevant to the current regional context. Since first reporting cases in 2025, neighboring Central American nations Guatemala and El Salvador have been engaged in persistent efforts to control ongoing avian influenza outbreaks that have devastated local poultry sectors in parts of both countries. In contrast, Belize successfully eradicated avian influenza back in 2015, and has maintained a disease-free status for the poultry industry for more than a decade. Belizean agricultural officials note that maintaining this status requires constant vigilance and ongoing investment in farmer training, given the constant transboundary risk of disease spread.\n\ The Ministry of Agriculture also highlighted that the high level of farmer turnout for the voluntary training signals a growing industry-wide interest in refining poultry management practices and strengthening collective action to safeguard Belize’s $100 million-plus poultry sector from external threats.

  • LVV biedt agrariërs snellere resultaten bij bodemonderzoek

    LVV biedt agrariërs snellere resultaten bij bodemonderzoek

    Suriname’s agricultural sector is stepping into a new era of efficient, data-driven farming thanks to a new initiative rolled out by the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV), in partnership with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). At the heart of the program are portable soil nutrient tester kits that cut down wait times for soil analysis results from months to less than a single working day, bringing life-changing improvements to small-scale and commercial farmers across the country.

    Before the introduction of these portable kits, the process of soil nutrient testing was notoriously slow and cumbersome. Agricultural extension officers based in rural districts across the country, including Nickerie, Coronie, Wanica, and Saramacca, were required to collect soil samples from local farms and ship them all the way to the capital city of Paramaribo for laboratory analysis. According to LVV extension officers, this process could take anywhere from three to six months to complete. By the time the test results were returned, planting seasons had often already passed, farmers had already harvested their crops, or many had moved forward with plans to plant a new crop, rendering the delayed analysis useless for informed decision-making.

    The new portable tester kits eliminate this entire delay. Extension officers can now conduct full nutrient analysis on-site directly after collecting soil samples, sharing accurate, actionable results with farmers the same day. All test findings are officially documented in a personalized agricultural report that is given directly to the participating farmer, and the entire testing and advisory service is provided completely free of charge by LVV.

    Soekarina Ardjosentono, a senior researcher in the Ministry’s Department of Soil Research and Agrohydrology, explained that two key benefits set the new system apart from the old process: unmatched speed and the ability to deliver far more targeted, context-specific advice to farmers. To ensure widespread, consistent use of the new technology, the Ministry has rolled out sequential training programs for extension officers across all regions. Trainings for extension staff in the northern districts of Wanica, Saramacca, and Paramaribo have already been completed, with training for officers in the western districts of Nickerie and Coronie wrapping up just last week.

    William Waidoe, LVV’s Deputy Director for the Western Region, noted that the faster testing framework enables extension officers to guide farmers far earlier in the planning process, before farmers make costly investments in seeds, fertilizer, and new planting. With immediate access to clear data on their soil’s nutrient profile, farmers can make timely, informed decisions about the type and amount of fertilizer to apply at each growth stage of their crops, matching inputs to their soil’s exact needs.

    Netasha Badal, an LVV extension officer based in Nickerie, one of the country’s key agricultural regions, emphasized the practical, on-the-ground difference the kits have made. “Previously, we had no option but to send samples off to Paramaribo. By the time we got the results back, in many cases the farmer had already planted or even harvested their crop,” Badal explained. “Now, we can share results and give targeted advice on appropriate fertilizer in a fraction of the time.”

    Revillio Vriesde, an extension officer and acting district lead for LVV in Coronie, echoed this sentiment, calling the new system a major step forward for the region’s farming community. “Where farmers once waited three to six months for results, they can now get full data the same day we collect their sample,” Vriesde noted.

    The portable soil nutrient tester kits were donated to the Ministry by WUSC as part of the organization’s climate-smart agriculture programming in Suriname. Varsha Boejharat, WUSC’s Climate Smart Agriculture Officer, explained that the donation and accompanying training program were developed in direct response to feedback from local farmers who identified slow soil analysis as a major barrier to more productive, sustainable farming. Accurate, timely soil analysis is foundational to sustainable farming: it gives farmers clear insight into key nutrient levels, including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, that determine crop health and yield. With this data in hand, farmers can not only select the right fertilizer regimen for each growing stage but also decide which crop varieties are best suited to their land, reducing unnecessary input costs and boosting overall productivity.

    The program represents a collaborative effort to bring modern, accessible agricultural technology to rural farmers in Suriname, with the goal of supporting more resilient, productive farming across the country.

  • Nigeria trip shows Agriculture Minister snail problem could generate cash

    Nigeria trip shows Agriculture Minister snail problem could generate cash

    For months, officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have framed the invasive Giant African Snail as an existential threat to the nation’s agricultural sector, with a three-year, EC$7 million eradication plan already drawn up to counter the pest. But a recent work trip to Nigeria has upended that approach, after SVG’s Agriculture Minister Israel Bruce discovered that the very species destroying local crops is celebrated as a high-value delicacy in West Africa — and he is now calling for the country to pivot from extermination to commercial harvesting.

    Bruce laid out his unexpected proposal during a press briefing held in Kingstown on April 7, 2026, opening his remarks by acknowledging the idea would sound unconventional to many. He first reminded attendees that during January’s national budget debate, he had publicly warned of the Giant African Snail’s ability to decimate local agricultural output, a threat that remains active today. After the debate concluded, Bruce presented a formal plan to the SVG Cabinet requesting roughly EC$7 million in taxpayer funding to roll out a three-year eradication campaign, a proposal that has since moved into early implementation.

    It was during a visit to Nigeria’s capital Abuja that Bruce stumbled on a radical alternative to culling the snails. Staying at a local hotel, he noticed snails listed on the restaurant menu and grew curious: could this be the same Giant African Snail plaguing his home country? When he asked kitchen staff, their answer confirmed his hunch. Still skeptical, Bruce pulled up a recent photo of a Giant African Snail spotted right on the grounds of SVG’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forest, and Rural Transformation in Kingstown, which he had received that same morning, and asked cooks to verify the match. They confirmed the two were the same species.

    On the spot, Bruce ordered a serving of the grilled snail to test it for himself. More than a week after sampling the dish, the minister told reporters he remains in good health, and has drawn a bombshell conclusion from the experience: instead of spending $7 million in public funds to wipe out the snail, SVG could instead turn the invasive population into a profitable commercial industry.

    “This is not about me trying snail — it is about what this could mean for our country,” Bruce explained. “Nigerians already consider this meat an expensive delicacy, so why waste millions on baits and eradication when we could harvest these snails, process them following all food safety protocols, and export them to meet existing demand?”

    Bruce pointed to existing demographic ties that could lower barriers to entering the market: SVG is already home to a large Nigerian community, and there is an even massive Nigerian consumer base in the United States that could be a target market. Local Vincentian producers, or even Nigerian residents already living in SVG, could build businesses around harvesting, cleaning, packaging and shipping the snails to consumers overseas, he argued.

    Acknowledging that some members of the public have reacted with discomfort to footage of him eating the invasive snail, Bruce pushed back on the hesitation, noting that the meat tasted similar to popular local conch when properly prepared. “As long as it is cleaned correctly, processed properly and de-poisoned following safety standards, it is perfectly good for consumption,” he said. “I have been back for a week and I am perfectly healthy, which proves this delicacy could be the key to saving our country millions while generating new income for our people.”

  • Experts Unite to Combat Sugarcane Wilt in Belize

    Experts Unite to Combat Sugarcane Wilt in Belize

    In a concerted effort to address the escalating threat of sugarcane wilt in Belize, a coalition of top officials and experts convened over two days to assess and strategize solutions. Leading the initiative were Dr. Osmond Martinez, Minister of State in the Ministry of Economic Transformation, and CEO Carlos Pol, in collaboration with the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute under Marcos Osorio. They were joined by the Taiwan Technical Mission, IICA Belize, and the University of Belize, focusing their efforts in the regions of Orange Walk and Corozal. The team engaged directly with farmers, inspected affected fields, and evaluated various factors from soil health to planting techniques. Their comprehensive assessment identified four primary causes of the wilt outbreak: climate-induced stress, nutrient-deficient soils, suboptimal field management, and contaminated planting materials. Taiwanese experts proposed immediate measures, including the adoption of tissue culture techniques, sterilization of seed cane, enhanced soil management practices, and the use of biological controls. A notable innovation introduced was a satellite-based monitoring system designed for early detection of disease outbreaks. Concurrently, the University of Belize is exploring the potential of beneficial soil microbes as a natural defense against the disease. This collaborative mission underscores a unified approach, combining local and international expertise to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and ensure the sustainability of Belize’s sugar industry.