“When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I could not afford to get a full-time job elsewhere – I had to take my hobby and make it into a lifestyle”. Hamza Ali shares a term that he chose to live his life by: “Release your passion, embrace the revolution”.
AgriNation is a local producer of ash crops such as lettuce, pimento and livestock including chickens and sheep. They also provide eggs, manure, seedlings, seedling transplanters, grow towers (which start at only $250!).
They also provide consultancy services, giving supplier recommendations, networking assistance as well as technical advice in terms of production efficiency, feed changes and balancing dietsThese services are in high local demand, especially in the case of assisting with agricultural start-ups, backyard garden setup, land preparation and planting.
When asked what made him decide to start this business, Hamza Ali first pointed towards his experience as an Agriculture student at the University of the West Indies.
He shared that before he formally started AgriNation in 2016, he was doing voluntary work through the U.W.I Agriculture Society. This experience gave him the opportunity interact with other individuals who shared his passion as well as to gain further experience in his field, working on projects such as garden installments.
Graduating from their undergraduate degrees, Hamza Ali and a small group of individuals felt the need to continue increasing their impact throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
His team included Ananda Ramlochan, Ryan Seemungal, Khadeer Mohammed, Keshav Sookdeo, Daryian Dolly and Bhavesh Maharaj. Special mention was also made of Tech4Agri Team and Jameel Phillip from Green Thumb Gardens.
He says, “When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I could not afford to get a full-time job elsewhere – I had to take my hobby and make it into a lifestyle” and shares a term that he chose to live his life by: “Release your passion, embrace the revolution”.
Furthermore, he states that “the goal is to be able to feed everyone, to have a world where no one is hungry, regardless of their disposition. I also hope to inspire other young persons to consider taking up agriculture. It is hard work, but if I can do it, considering my own challenges, anyone can.”
Hamza Ali also aims to adhere to the five freedoms of animal welfare, ensuring that his animals remain happy and healthy, as well as to increase levels of sustainability, currently working on sourcing biodegradable packaging – being the change he wants to see.
Unfortunately, AgriNation was greatly affected by the October floods, a huge setback to the business. He shared that the flood waters remained for four days, an unprecedented event.
Mr. Ali is said to have lost over $3000 in fertilizer, $6000 in manure (200 bags), a grass chipper ($5000+), a drip to waste hydroponic system ($2000+), and many barrels of feed.
Additionally, he stated that he lost one sheep ($1800) and half of his white leghorn chickens were lost as they either drowned or were consumed by caimans.
Those that remained also faced nutrient deprivation and as such he is currently in the process of trying to restore their nutrition plane and is treating them with antibiotics to ensure that they remain healthy, avoiding their eggs being compromised.
He also tried to replenish his stock but was told that his distributor had stopped bringing them into the country.
Despite this travesty, Hamza Ali remains positive and driven. He states that while he has not been able to get back on track yet, he will not be raising his prices because “consumers should not have to pay for something that is not their fault”.
He also says that at this point he has not accepted any donations because he would prefer for them to go to persons who may need it more than him, and that he would prefer to work to earn finances to rebuild, showing that “even after a disaster, you can get back on your feet by trying”.
As for his path to recovery, he shares that he would like to start generating and sharing more content through his social media in order to gain traction and find more customers in order to once again increase his income, allowing him to reinvest.
Mr. Ali is also looking into various frameworks, for example, elevated or vertical gardens, the use of grow towers, and raised pens.
He also recommends that other farmers prepare for the potential of future events by having a disaster preparedness plan and contingency methods in place such as knowing other locations where one could house their animals in the case of a flood or an earthquake.
To contact Hamza Ali, please feel free to contact him via Facebook or Instagram.
