Turks & Caicos Islands
TCI Appoints New Director of Agriculture
By Turks & Caicos Islands Government Press Office
Dec 3, 2015 - 11:30:25 AM

TURKS & CAICOS -- Ms. Wilhelmina Kissoonsingh has been recently appointed as the Director for the Department of Agriculture.

Ms. Kissoonsingh has a very diverse background and started her career in Agriculture as a Field Extension Officer advising farmers on ways to improve their production. Later on she worked in the Private Sector as an agronomist, developing and researching techniques to improve Agriculture and later moved up the ranks to planning and implementing agricultural programs for the entire country of Trinidad.

“Everyone is entitled to safe and sufficient food and it is a well-known fact that TCI imports basically all its food which puts the country food security at risk. In the past decade international markets have seen large food price swings and TCI is at the mercy of these high food prices. There are many challenges to producing food in TCIG such as soil type and fertility, lack of modern farming techniques and limited institutional support to name a few. In my new role, I intend to develop Agriculture Policy and programs to address these issues“ stated Ms. Wilhelmina Kissoonsingh.

“Agriculture cannot be done in the same way as the past we need to implement new and innovative techniques to produce food in a sustainable way. Investment in Agriculture as an engine for sustainable development has been very low in the past but the potential is there, it is anticipated that new Director of Agriculture will lobby for and support its further development within the public sector” said Permanent Secretary for Health, Agriculture and Human Services, Mr. Wesley Clerveaux.

Ms. Kissoonsingh also a former lecturer at the University of the West Indies for many years and assisted students in formulating and executing their research projects in the field of Agriculture and Human Ecology; she also worked on consultancy projects in many other countries of the Caribbean, all in an effort to transform their respective Agriculture Sector. Ms. Kissoonsigh commenced work on October 1st 2015.

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