On December 18, 2020, the Indo-Caribbean Society (ICS) conducted a webinar on agriculture business development, which was partaken by various officials from Guyana, Jamaica, and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University India (TNAU) and hosted by the team from Texila American University (TAU). Some of the most notable heads who contributed to the webinar were as follows.
- Hon. Minister Mr. Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Jamaica
- Hon. Minister Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture, Guyana
- Dr. A.S. Krishnamoorthy, Registrar, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
- Dr. S.D. Sivakumar, Director of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
- Dr. K.S. Subramanian, Director of research, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India
The discussion started with a short introduction of the ICS and its mission to strengthen Indo-Caribbean ties in various areas. Hon. Minister Mr. Floyd Green was the first to deliver his thoughts on collaboration and the sharing of new innovative ideas. He also touched upon how the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the public’s focus on agriculture and why more youngsters should be enabled and encouraged to the field of agriculture.
Dr. A.S. Krishnamoorthy followed his speech, diving into greater detail on TNAU and its achievements in agricultural education in India. Dr. K.S. Subramanian later picked up the stage, presenting TNAU’s impact and contribution to India’s understanding and development in rural and urban states. Dr. K.S. Subramanian also showcased and shed insightful light on the various techniques and technology implemented to produce high-quality corps in excellent quantities.
Dr. K.S. Subramanian subsequently shared his valuable insights in business-oriented activities and innovation derived based on startups that help them tackle problems innovatively and effectively. He also emphasized identifying and embracing new technology as an essential part of the future of agricultural development. The team at TNAU also shared ways to collaborate and provide advanced agrarian education to students in the Caribbean countries.
Various other staff from TNAU also shared their views and areas rope with healthy possibilities of development and advancement and shared their opinions on the stream, notably Dr. S Karthikeyan, Professor of Microbiology, who shared his views on rice fields GWP emissions and possible collaborations on the matter.
Hon. Minister Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture, Guyana delivered his Keynote speech. He outlined that the specific subsectors of crop cultivation, agro-processing and livestock farming are three areas investments should be directed to, since there are tremendous agriculture business opportunities present here in Guyana.
In all, the session was an excellent showcase of the eventual possibility of collaboration in various areas of agriculture with innovative and effective techniques and business development opportunities. The culmination of minds involved in the webinar also had many takeaways from the event, strengthening Indo-Caribbean ties and opening up collaborative efforts in the future.