Under the Sustainable Livelihoods and Community Economic Growth through Hydroponic and Organic Vegetable Production and Marketing Project, shadehouse producers made their first cluster exchange visit to Region Two on April 9, 2015.
According to a press release from the Group, more than 28 members from Regions 3,4,5,6 and 10 visited three shadehouse producers in Essequibo to share experiences of the hydroponic and organic vegetable production. The project was initiated in 2010/2011 through a joint partnership between Partners of the Americas (Guyana chapter) and Caribbean Self-Reliance International (CASRI).
The networking proved beneficial to the members as they were able to share the “best practices” as it relates to the hydroponic and organic vegetable production, the release said. Further, members were also enthusiastic about the system as it permits the producers to grow crops year round in the shadehouse without the disturbance of rain or flooding. Besides the improved quality of produce yielded by this method, the release said, their vegetarian membership was satisfied as the raised-bed method of the shadehouse maintains the integrity of the produce as compared to the flooding method utilised in the traditional vegetable farming.
Kemwattie Ramnarine of Perseverance, the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at Mainstay and Hemchand Hemraj of Richmond were the three farms visited by the group.
Vegetables grown by the shadehouse farmers include celery, ginger, lettuce, pakchoy, tomato, pepper, callaloo, cabbage and plantains. Most of the farmers employ the use of substrate paddy shell and sand.
