THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, LANDS, HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT LAUNCHES AGRIVI, THE FIRST NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL DATA MANAGEMENT PLATFORM ON MONTSERRAT

The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment, with funding support from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), has procured the AGRIVI agriculture data management platform. This digital platform will streamline data collection through a single portal that will connect the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Quality Infrastructure Division, Statistics Department and food distributors on island. 

 The software will enable our technical officers to better support local farmers through the use of satellite imagery and climate analysis that can identify various challenges. These include, but are not limited to the following: crop water stress; vegetation health; and potential crop-specific pests and diseases. Farm level weather forecasting will also be provided, which is critical due to Montserrat’s distinct micro-climates.    

 The software’s ability to provide real-time data through forecasting harvest weights and times supports the planning and procurement decisions of local food distributors. In addition, the app improves traceability by providing reports that contain production practices, crop nutrition values and farm pictures for any goods that distributors purchase, which will demonstrate the care that our farmers take in producing. Distributors can also contact farmers directly as the platform will have a registry of farmer contact information.

 The AGRIVI platform is currently being rolled out on Montserrat and training with respective stakeholders will take place over the next 2 months. It should be fully implemented and in use by July. This step is part of the Ministry’s wider intention to integrate Information Technology (I.T) into its service strategy to support the growth of the agriculture industry on Montserrat while setting an example for the region.

Questions and concerns can be shared with Dr. Kevin Crooks, the Agriculture Development Specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment.