Black Immigrant Daily News

A team of scientists from the National Agriculture Research Institute (NRAI) and the Morocco International Cooperation Agency (AMCI) is currently in Guyana to present, explore and assess the impact of the Soil Fertility Map Project.

The project will see the Government of Guyana collaborating with the two institutions to expedite the digitization of soil data which includes soil types, description, crop suitability, and chemical data such as organic carbon.

The project, which was launched in Guyana and Suriname, will involve extensive soil data exploration activities to build an inventory of soil information using local soil datasets.

On Tuesday, the team paid a courtesy call to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha to discuss the scope of the project.

During the meeting, Mr. Rachis Moussadek of the Moroccan National Agriculture Research Institute explained that the project was structured into different components.

“The first component, which is very important, will see us gathering information about the soil and its fertility. This data will be compiled in a digital format that can be used by policymakers. This data will assist farmers with receiving better productivity and efficiency,” he explained.

The project, which will run for four years, will involve the collection of information as well as the development of a methodological framework for reviewing and updating soil data including soil organic carbon, after which, a platform will be developed that can be used by farmers to guide their cultivation.

While speaking on the project, Minister Mustapha said there were thousands of acres of land in Guyana that the government was looking to bring under cultivation and that those areas will need effective soil nutrition.

“In Guyana, we are using approximately 80,000 metric tons of fertilizer annually. With this project, you can visit the areas where we are looking to bring virgin lands under cultivation and determine what inputs are needed to do so. We started the cultivation of corn and soya in the Intermediate Savannah. If we are to increase production we need to have effective soil nutrition in that area. We have thousands of acres of land that are available. We have to make those lands arable so that we can not only plant corn and soya but other crops,” Minister Mustapha said.

Since taking office the government has maintained that technology will play an integral role in the agriculture sector. Minister Mustapha, on several occasions, has said that technology was needed to improve production and expand the sector.

He also said that the use of generated Digital Soil Maps (DSM) for selecting sites where data on the full environmental variability including soil forming factors, latitude, longitude, soil depth, time, and land use history is required.

Minister Mustapha also said that the government was working to strengthen the quality control of the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute’s (NAREI) Soil Chemical Services Laboratory, through the rehabilitation of physical facilities and instrumentation.

The team is expected to meet with officers from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), and NAREI as well as conduct a series of field tests over the next two days.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Ambassador Sonia M. Johnny, Sr. Legal Advisor in the Office of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), received The United States President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, September 29th at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Honored for her exceptional work over the years in addressing the development and foreign policy concerns of her native country of Saint Lucia, the prestigious award was given to her and other global leaders during the African and Caribbean International Leadership Awards Gala – held in collaboration with the 51st United States Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.

“It is quite an honor to be recognized along with so many great people who have accomplished so much,” Ambassador Johnny said. “I also think it is so important for people of this caliber to be brought together under one roof, to share experiences and learn from each other. This event is not simply a gala, but a learning and sharing process between people who have devoted their whole lives to serving.”

Ambassador Johnny made history when she became Saint Lucia’s first-ever female ambassador to the OAS and the United States in 1997, a role in which she served for a decade.

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In 2007 she served as Chief of the Tourism Section within the Department of Trade, Tourism and Competitiveness at the OAS before leaving to become the Deputy Director of the Summits Secretariat.

There, she provided her expertise to the Department as it prepared for the first ever Summits of the Americas to be held in the Anglophone Caribbean in 2009 (Trinidad and Tobago).

Always one to shatter glass ceilings, Ambassador Johnny’s life is one littered with accomplishments. An alumnus of two of the world’s most prestigious universities; Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins school of Advanced International Studies, as well as the University of the West Indies from which she graduated with honors, her education and work ethic primed her for a long and successful career in foreign affairs and diplomacy.

 Known as “the ambassador who was open to all,” Ambassador Johnny has been responsible for helping a number of Saint Lucian students obtain scholarships, and get paid internships at hotels in Florida, as well as providing needed support to the Saint Lucian diaspora.

She was also the only ambassador to invite and accompany members of the United States Congressional Black Caucus to Saint Lucia for discussions with the Prime Minister regarding the country’s economic concerns – particularly the then challenges within the banana industry, Saint Lucia’s biggest industry at the time.

Ambassador Johnny was known to roam the corridors of Capitol Hill to discuss her country’s concerns and garner support for the Caribbean’s interests.

Her life has been marked by a dedication to the welfare and elevation of others. Not only Saint Lucians, but many other members of the Caribbean Diaspora can attest to this, as she remains a household name in the community where she has accepted leadership roles in every group with which she is affiliated.

“I have always believed in serving rather than being served, so I never wait for things to fall into my lap. Instead, I aggressively go out to pursue things and make things happen…not only for me, but also for others,” she said. “You see, when my glass breaks, I do not sit and mourn, but I STOOP and pick up the pieces, and using that experience, I help others in picking up their pieces.”

Ambassador Johnny is the recipient of three other awards: The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award, the Howard University Leadership Award, and the Women Empowered to Achieve the Impossible (Wetati) Award.

SOURCE: Intrigue Media Group

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Black Immigrant Daily News

St Vincent and the Grenadines won their second match at the Americas Netball World Cup Qualifying Tournament by beating St Lucia 49-36 last night at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston, Jamaica.

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ next match will be against Barbados this evening at a quarter past seven Eastern Caribbean Time.

Also, last night, Trinidad and Tobago defeated Grenada 66-42 in the top of the Table match.

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