Attendees visited the first in a series of “Hydroponics as a Business Training” on Saturday, September 9, at the Kew Town Farmers Market in Providenciales held by the Agriculture Department. The training was conducted by Mario Smith-Extension Officer who took participants through the fundamentals of setting up a hydroponic unit.
This training is a component of the “Business in a Box Program,” which will focus on two areas -Hydroponic Farming and Layer Production. This program seeks to train Turks and Caicos Citizens on establishing their own hydroponic unit and/or backyard layer unit at home, taking records, and then later on possibly expanding to commercial production once they understand the farming techniques. The Business in a Box program is divided into two (2) phases- phase 1 (Providenciales and Grand Turk) and Phase 2 (South Caicos, Salt Cay, and North Caicos).
This program is one of the many ways the department is using to encourage persons into the Agriculture Sector so that more local food can be produced and the Turks and Caicos Islands can move towards Food Security.
Participants who attended the training were exposed to 3 types of techniques- Dutch Bucket, Deep Water Culture, and Vertical Nutrient Film Technique. They showed keen interest and committed to starting their own unit at home.
Source: Magnetic Media