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Archive -Fishing and Agriculture

Stakeholders follow training on soil salinity management |30 July 2015

Stakeholders such as farmers and agricultural agents are following training on how best to use chemicals to combat salinity in fresh water to water the plants.

The training programme, which kicked off on Monday at the Care House, has been organised by the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) in collaboration with the EbA (Ecosystem-based Adaptation) project.

The opening ceremony was attended by the principal secretary in the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture Michel Nalletamby; former Minister for Natural Resources Peter Sinon, who was there to give support to the campaign; a representative from the SAA Barry Nourice; UNDP staff; SAA officers and local farmers from Mahé and Praslin.

Dr Shabbir A. Shahid and Dr Henda Mahmoudi, two trainers from the International Centre for Biosaline Agricultural (ICBA), are conducting the five-day training.

Apart from reaching out to farmers, the programme is also expected to foster better interaction between extension officers and farmers.

Commenting on the training, Mr Nourice said it will help farmers better combat salinity.

The salinity project was drafted four years ago in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an international organisation set up in 1957 to promote research into and the development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

“The project was drafted in 2011, approved in 2012, and work started around 2014. And today we are all gathered to find solutions to combat the salinity problem along the coastal zones and even on Praslin,” he said.

According to Mr Nourrice a previous study found that around 25 to 35% of the agricultural areas have been affected by salinity and they are all located along coastal zones, namely Côte d’Or (Praslin), Anse Royale, Au Cap, Grand Anse Mahé and Port Glaud.

PS Nalletamby also added a few words to kick-start the five-day training session.

“We are a small island facing serious problems as a consequence of climate change, like heavy rainfall. And to combat those problems, we need all the help we can get from different organisations. And today we are all seeking dramatic solutions to salinity problems around Mahé island and even on other islands like Praslin,” the PS said.

The two lecturers noted that it was good to see so many farmers willing to seek for solutions to the soil salinity problems.

Some of the consequences of salinity are:

• Detrimental effects on plant growth and yield;

• Damage to infrastructure (roads, bricks, corrosion of pipes and cables);

• Reduction of water quality for users, sedimentation problems;

• Soil erosion ultimately, when crops are too strongly affected by the amount of salts.

Salinity is a major land degradation problem. Soil salinity can be reduced by leaching soluble salts out of soil with excess irrigation water.

 

 

 

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