25 farmers better equipped in compost making

Twenty farmers, agricultural officers, and Taiwan Technical Mission experts recently attended a workshop which introduced farmers to how compost is made by reusing organic waste such as weeds, dry tree leaves and branches, livestock manure, or kitchen waste.{{more}}

The workshop was the 3rd in the series of “Compost Making Workshops” which advocate recycling natural resources. It was held on July 21, and conducted by Shen-Chuan Su, Specialist of Taiwan Technical Mission, in collaboration with Sydney Sutherland, Agricultural Instructor in the Ministry of Agriculture in Orange Hill Farm.

The demonstrations were conducted at the farms of Selwyn Lawrence in Orange Hill and Curl Sutherland in Sandy Bay.

Guidance was also given to farmers on the steps to be taken when processing compost. The workshop looked at: materials collection, heaping, watering and mix up. Following the processing, in three to 4 months the compost will be thoroughly decomposed as soil-like loose material which has no odour and is dark in colour. It can then be used as organic fertilizer to grow vegetables and fruits. It also works well as a seed-setting substrate mixed with good soil.

In the class, Sutherland showed that leaves of spinach which were fertilized with compost are broader and thicker than those without. Moreover, Su stated that compost can significantly and effectively increase the quality and yield of watermelon and other vegetables and fruits for greater income. The use of compost could function well to improve the physics and chemical characters of soil in aeration, moisture, and help plant roots absorb more nutrients and trace elements.

Interested persons are invited to contact the Compost Extension Officer, Sydney Sutherland (456-1410), and the Taiwan Technical Mission (458-7447) for more information.