The Mexican Government through the Mexican Agency for International Development Co-operation (AMEXCID) and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has collaborated on a Technical Co-operation Project which commenced in 2017. This Project allowed for the interchange of knowledge and expertise through training. The Project focused on four main components:

1.     GIS Training

2.     Waste management on small pig farms

3.     Watershed Assessment and Soil Erosion Models

4.     Water Management component

The GIS Training allowed for Two RADA Officers to visit Mexico and gained training in the use of GIS tools to include: building hydrological network,Crop identification using satellite imagery, Using GIS platform (digital mapping) among others.

Waste Management on Small Pig Farms Component provided exposure (for two RADA Officers to visit Mexico in October 2017) on alternative waste management models on pig farmers. This included:

1.     Production of compost and vermicomposting for fertilizing farmlands

2.     Biogas generation system for the production of electricity and heat

3.     Treatment and reuse of water (among others)

The Watershed Assessment and Soil Erosion Models gave two RADA Technical Officers the opportunity to be exposed to the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) and Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment software and Experimental watershed models and rain simulators in October 2017.

Water Management

The final component under the Cooperation Programme focused on Water Management. Experts from Mexico visited Jamaica for a second time under this programme from October 15-18, 2019. For the four day activities, the technical team from Mexico participated in field visits to various irrigation and small-scale water management sites, conducted in-house tutorials on irrigation system designs and collaborated in knowledge sharing with the local RADA Irrigation team.