RADHICA DE SILVA
Senior Multimedia Journalist
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
For years, Corpus Christi has been hailed as a propitious time for farmers and home gardeners in T&T to cultivate their crops. It is believed that anything planted on this day will thrive, thanks to the anticipated rains. However, this year, media crews witnessed a noticeable decline in cultivation, raising concerns among agricultural enthusiasts.
Driving along the M2 Ring Road after 6 am, our team observed a scarcity of farmers in the undulating agricultural fields. The same was observed at Wellington Road, Harripaul Village.
Speaking to Guardian Media, farmer Shawn Henry, spotted at a nearby camp, attributed the decrease in activity to the dry condition of the land. "You see how everybody's land is nicely ploughed up. Well, they are waiting for the rains to come, and then people will plant," he explained while moulding a few melongene trees.
Rebecca, a home gardener from Claxton Bay, shared her reasons for abstaining from planting this year, citing the prevalence of Giant African snails.
"I usually plant for the holiday, but this year, I have not been motivated because the African snails are killing everything," she lamented.
Despite using snail bait and neem oil, Rebecca expressed her frustration, revealing that she had spent $1,300 on her last crop but reaped nothing. Determined to combat the issue, she said: "For now, I am on a snail eradication and prevention program."
Dianand Ganessingh, another farmer, highlighted the evolving farming techniques and the departure from traditional methods as a possible explanation for the decline in Corpus Christi planting.
He emphasized the shift toward hydroponics, the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), and drip-to-waste techniques, especially among home gardeners. These modern approaches eliminate the constraints associated with traditional practices, he explained.
While many individuals opted out of planting for Corpus Christi, commercial farmers were more likely to continue the tradition, Ganessingh said.
However, he acknowledged that larger-scale agricultural operations still observed the significance of Corpus Christi.
Meanwhile, agronomist Akanath Singh, the owner of the Plant Diagnostic Clinic, shared his observation that gardening has experienced a surge since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Singh noted that people were no longer waiting exclusively for Corpus Christi to plant, but had been engaging in year-round cultivation.
"People have been planting for the past two years because Covid -19 pandemic displaced many families. People lost jobs, businesses lost sale so there have been a spike in first-time home farmers and gardeners. It is good to see so many families getting into agricultural production, planting what they eat and getting into agriculture as a business," he said.
He said over 500 people whom he interacted with first-hand have turned to farming as a means of sustenance and income.
In addition to cultivation, several churches conducted the traditional ritual of blessing seeds following Corpus Christi Mass. Singh said he was proud that so many people are continuing to plant not only on Corpus Christi but also year-round.