Agriculture officers enhance capacity, skills in flood control, drainage techniques |27 January 2017

A group of farmers from Côte D’Or on Praslin, agriculture officers,  recently benefited from training to boost their capacity and enhance their skills to better control flooding and learn new techniques on how to drain their farms, especially those on flat land, faster during heavy rain.

The training was part of the on-going Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) Technical Cooperation Project (TCP/SEY 3503) to build the capacity of agricultural extension services in Seychelles to better support farmers and also to boost their capacity so they can better adapt to the heavy rain that occurs periodically with tropical storms here. 

As part of the training those taking part were also able to put into practice what they have learnt. Thus practical field work were carried out in small areas to demonstrate the constructions of the different techniques being promoted to control floods  and drain flat lands.

One of the chosen pilot sites was Côte D’Or itself, where there is a new community of 10 farmers, who have been allocated agricultural land for crop farming.

The three-day practical sessions were led by skilled local trainers Jean-Claude Labrosse  and Aubrey Hortere.

The implementation of this Pilot Site work was done from January 11-13, 2017.

During the practical sessions, farmers also learned to the use of basic surveying equipment by picking up level points alongside the existing farm road. The farmers took turns taking readings from the level machines.

The different level points calculated will be used in the topographic survey of the farmland. They also had on-site experience of placing wooden pegs at certain intervals to mark locations and heights of drains.

Participants were also able to understand the concept of de-silting of a water channel with proper gradient eliminating the depressions and bumps that contribute to water stagnation and cause backflow during heavy rainfall.

On-site practical activities were carried out through actual excavation work on secondary earth drain alongside the agricultural plots, and they also learned more on the canal embankment stabilisation techniques .

“The thrfee-day session has been very fruitful. We have not only learned new techniques and skills but we have also put our new skills into practice and be corrected where required,” one farmer said.

The selection of photos show the group conducting practical training.