SPAIN SEEKS BELIZEAN AID IN HELPING JAMAICA IMPROVE THEIR AGRICULTURE.

SPAIN SEEKS BELIZEAN TECHNICAL AID IN HELPING JAMAICA IMPROVE THEIR AGRICULTURE From: "Wong, Luis" To: "hillviewhacienda@yahoo.com" ; "bz-culture-request@psg.com" Cc: "Fonts, Agusti" Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 10:35 AM Subject: Message for Mr. Ray Axillou (Belize) Dear Mr. Auxillou: Greetings from IRTA (http://www.irta.cat/en-US/Pages/default.aspx), the Agri-Food Research and Development Institute from the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Spain. We are writing to you to request your help. IRTA will take care of a training program for small farmers in Jamaica, in the matter of Protected Agriculture techniques. This program will include several modules and we are interested in knowing if you (or any of your associates) could act as instructor in one specific module: 2.2 Plant Propagation & Nursery Management - Nursery Structures and Designs - Plant Propagation Methods and Media - Nursery Management: Production Planning & Logistics - Irrigation and Fertigation Technology - Plant Protection - Practical case: Propagation and cultivation of a Caribbean ornamental plant - This module is supposed to be taught in English for an auditorium of between 30 to 40 people, within a week (six continuous days, from Monday to Saturday), by mid to late June 2012 (we would precise the dates shortly)and it’s both theoretical and practical, with specific emphases on the practical part. We would cover your roundtrip airplane ticket, your hotel and meals, your internal transportation charges as well as would pay you a sum of US 400.00 dollars per every day of instruction (US$ 2,600.00 in total, free of any deductions). If you agree on this, we would send you a contract stating these aforementioned conditions. We would need a confirmation message from you, providing us critical information: a) Materials needed for the conducting practical experiences. b) Any modification to the previously mentioned basic syllabus. c) Any other request, relevant to the instruction of this module. d) An updated copy of your curriculum vitae, with phones, fax numbers, emails, etc. Please consider this request. If you can’t help us, please recommend us someone who could. Thanks for your upmost valuable cooperation and assistance. Truly, Luis Wong-Vega, Ph.D. Liaison Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean IRTA Dr. Luis Wong Vega, Oficial de Enlace Regional para América Latina y el Caribe Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA) Generalitat de Catalunya Tels. en Panamá: + 507 399-7388 / + 507 6570-1768 Tels. en Santo Domingo: +(809) 442 3476 / +(809) 566 8121 Email: luis.wong@irta.cat **************************************************************************************************************************************************** Thankyou for your offer. I´m not sure how you got my name? I did do a three year vegetable growing project to disprove the Agriculture Department of that time here in Belize contention that small farmers could not grow vegetables profitably. But I was self taught and going to the contrarian view of the bureaucrats and politicians of that time here in Belize. The subsequent three year nursery experimental booklet was sent to UN FAO of the three year results experienced and knowledge gained from the internet and tried in practice in my own NGO nurseries. This worked out well and subsequently the government of Belize and Agriculture Department started to access a lot of international GRANTS for green houses and incoming technical expertise. They did in fact acquire millions of dollars worth of aid based on the results of my book. Subsequently I closed my nurseries as the job and results desired were reached from an educational viewpoint, as an NGO development project. We changed the defeatism type of mindset of the government basically. The Agriculture Department picked up on the technological changes and with the aid of experts from abroad, learned a lot of new things about tropical vegetable farming and soil changing. This whole thing was a complete new thing for Belize which had been constricted by a hand labor mindset, milpa growing mentality. The local vegetable import substitution took off and some people made a lot of money. The local market being small, it soon ran into trouble with overproduction. The main result has been a widening of vegetable supplies and new varieties, and Belize is now self sufficient in food. Though we seasonally import shortages. The new focus is to develop export orientated vegetables through acquiring processing knowledge and plant capacity. I have no part in that field and leave it to the paid salaried people of the government to do. As a self taught person, I am not sure how much value I would be too you. I have been a school teacher, so teaching is no problem. But I will pass your request by my wife and if she approves would be delighted to do a little bit. In light of the above information, if you are still interested, contact me again. I have no agriculture degrees. My specialty turned out to be soil changing, organic farming and hydroponics. I would require internet access as I am working on another project developing financial trading as a business for Belizeans, through JAGUAR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, which can be maintained by internet availability, if I have it in Jamaica. This financial project is now two years along and will require another year. My only experience in propogation is through seeds and cuttings. I do not have any experience in propogation of ornamentals, though my daughter in Florida owns a commercial nursery doing stuff like that.