In December 2024, We-Empower team members, Ray and Jan Ott, provided Smart Irrigation training as part of the Project Farmer program implemented by the US Department of State and Deloitte Afrique in support of the Tunisian Agency for Agricultural Extension and Training (AVFA).
The Ott’s worked with students, Extension Agents, private irrigation technicians and continuing education learners at 2 Vocational Institutes: Centre Sectoriel de Formation Professionnelle Agricole en Aménagement des Périmètres Irrigués de Barrouta in Kairouan Governorate and at Centre Sectoriel de Formation Professionnelle Agricole en Cultures Maraîchères de Primeurs de Chott-Meriem in Sousse Governorate. In all, 41 people participated in the training, 20 women and 21 men.
The training included an introduction to online Apps which use satellite data to provide information on soil moisture, plant growth and plant health. An irrigation controller was also used to teach participants how to integrate weather station data, rain gauges and soil moisture sensors into programmed irrigation schedules which could be monitored and adjusted with telephone Apps.
In addition to this training, Jan Ott, an avid beekeeper, visited a third Vocational Institute: Center Agricultural Training de Takelsa in Nabeul Governorate. Jan had an informative discussion with five Beekeeping Extension Agents about the difficulties faced by beekeepers in Tunisia. Ms, Ott was able to introduce them to some ideas for reducing heat stress which is adversely affecting hive production. The Institute had an impressive array of equipment needed for training beekeepers in advanced practices which had been provided by the Project Farmer Program.
