Tobago cocoa and citrus farmers can count on some well timed reduction from birds destroying their crops with the set up of a solar-powered Bird Wailer Deterrent System on the island.
The system was put in by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).
According to CARDI, farmers in Tobago face dropping 50 – 65% of their crop on account of pests, together with parrot and cocrico birds.
The solar-powered chook wailer system emits a collection of intimidating sounds, comparable to birds in misery, pure predator sounds, shotguns and alarms, to discourage birds from perching and consuming produce.
The undertaking was funded by a TT$100,000 EPIC grant by way of a partnership with the Digicel Foundation and Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited.
CARDI unveiled the system to farmers and stakeholders at a launch occasion on March 12, held at Goodwood Secondary School in Tobago. Th analysis workforce introduced optimistic findings from the pilot undertaking.
CARDI’s Executive Director Ansari Hosein defined: “One system was set up in the Tobago Cocoa Estate, while the second one has been roving across different farming districts. We arehappy to hear that after three weeks at the Tobago Cocoa Estate, there are no sightings of the parrots or evidence of parrot damage.”
At the identical time, he warned that it received’t be a foolproof answer.
“The use of the bird wailer is not a silver bullet for solving this frustrating bird pest problem… the wailer must be part of an integrated approach to controlling bird pests.”
To implement and track the success of the bird wailer, CARDI has joined forces with the THA’s Division of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development.
Secretary Nathisha Charles-Pantin congratulated the CARDI on the innovation and their stakeholder relationship said: “The wailer system is a practical tool that can make a real difference on the ground.”
She inspired farmers to lean on the Division for technical assist and reasserted that there’s energy in collaboration.
This yr, the Digicel Foundation’s ‘Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities’ (EPIC) programme, in partnership with Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited, focuses on agriculture, renewable power and environmental tasks.
Digicel Foundation’s Head of Operations Cindyann Currency stated: “Incorporating renewable energy into this initiative tells us that CARDI is thinking about sustainable agriculture and climate smart practices and we are excited to be on the journey with them, along with our partners at Shell Trinidad and Tobago.”
