The seminar was held at the IICA Office; the field and the agro-processing sessions were held at the Mirabeau Agricultural Station and a privately owned cassava processing facility, respectively, in St. Andrew’s parish.

Participants included CABA members as well as Agriculture Science teachers and selected Agriculture Science students from two primary schools in St. Andrew’s parish.

The training seminar covered all aspects of cassava production: from pre-production to post harvest handling. It also included the theoretical aspects of cassava processing, highlighting twenty-one different recipes which included cassava as the main ingredient.

During the field session, participants were taken to a prepared site and given a practical appreciation of site selection and preparation (especially in relation to land tillage and formation) for planting cassava. They were also shown, and allowed to be involved in the correct method of preparing planting material, and planting of same.

Additionally, a 3-month old cassava plot was visited, and participants were able to identify some of the pests associated with cassava production.

They were also able to comment on the plant spacing used, and identify some basic characteristics of the cassava variety planted.

At the cassava processing facility, participants were intrigued by the apparently primitive (but rather ingenious) method used for manufacturing cassava bread and farine.

For more information, contact
una.may.gordon@iica.int