Gerald Proverbs, co-author of the book entitled ‘Sugar Cane Farming in Barbados’, presents a copy to Marcia Marville from the Barbados Community College.
Julia Holder, of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, receives a copy.
Jeff Chandler (left) received a copy of the book, which will grace the UWI Cave Hill Campus Library.
Whilst a number of tertiary-level institutions have already been presented with copies of the recently launched book on sugar cane farming in Barbados, a number of secondary schools will benefit from the book as well.
The Barbados Society of Technologists in Agriculture (BSTA), along with the Agronomy Research and Variety Testing Unit of the Barbados Agricultural Management Company Ltd. (BAMC), teamed up to launch the book. The book, which is titled “Sugar Cane Farming in Barbados”, is authored by Dr. Sandra Bellamy, who serves as Head of the Agronomy Research and Variety Testing Unit (ARVTU), along with co-author Gerald Proverbs.
Speaking during the book launch, which was held at the ARVTU in Groves in St. George recently, Proverbs presented copies of the book to industry leaders, as well as representatives of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus Library and its Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences. Copies were also presented to representatives of the Barbados Community College and the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.
He meanwhile noted that the BSTA will be visiting secondary schools which have a Department of Agriculture, to present a copy to each principal.
“Now to continue the effort of having produced this manual, the next step is the distribution, both within the sugar industry and to secondary schools in Barbados as well. So we will be visiting the schools and distributing one copy to (each) school, in the coming weeks,” Proverbs indicated.
Dr. Bellamy meanwhile noted that the publication was funded by the Sugar Industry Research and Development Fund, to provide the sugar cane farming community with a colourful and comprehensive reference handbook on sugar cane agronomy, field/farm management and sugar processing.
The book also provides an insight into the history of the industry and pays tribute to past technologists through quotations from their publications and speeches. The manual has 24 chapters of practical and technical information authored by members of the BSTA and staff of the BAMC.
This book, she said, outlines all of the agronomic requirements and best practices for successfully growing sugar cane in Barbados. (RSM)