Japanese volunteers provide technical support at Beausejour farm
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Contact: Adhara King
Thursday, June 26, 2008 – The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers organization (JOCV) has served St. Lucia since 2005, and continues to make invaluable contributions to the quality of life on the island.
Recently, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) conducted an educational tour of volunteer workstations. As part of that tour, a visit was made to the Beausejour Agricultural Station in Vieux-Fort where Japanese Animal Husbandry Specialist Dr. Shigeru Nishida is assigned.
Officer in charge of the agricultural station, Vernon Valmont spoke highly of Dr. Nishida's accomplishments thus far. “Mr. Nishida is involved in the treatment of animals on the station, he also is very actively involved in the record keeping and the breeding and improvement of the breeding stock here and also recently he has been involved in the artificial insemination of pigs on the station. These are the 3 major areas he has been involved with here.”
Dr. Nishida has been instrumental in sourcing and procuring equipment and aid for the farm through the JICA. He has also conducted various surveys on diseases affecting the animals on the farm.
Within the twenty months that Dr. Nishida has been on island, his contributions have improved the operation of the farm so significantly that Mr. Valmont has requested additional technical aid and training for existing employees of the farm.
There are two young persons working with him involved in the record keeping aspects and also the mating/breeding plans on the station. An area that we would like some continuity based on the work he started is in the artificial insemination, and we're hoping that the Japanese government can assist us with technical expertise in that area,” Valmont noted.
As a part of his research, Dr. Nishida has provided valuable planning and zoning information for sustainable grazing rotation patterns for the farm's future operations and expansion. |
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