Pistol shooter is TnT Sportsman of the Year

Corporal Roger Daniel, 2010 Sportsman of the Year

Congratulations to Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Corporal Roger Daniel on being named 2010 Sportsman of the Year। AirgunsTT is delighted that a pistol shooter has created history by being the first shooter (and an airgunner at that!) to win this august award.

Showing his characteristic humility, Daniel immediately dedicated the award to his mentor and first shooting coach, Lloyd Henry. This underscores our position that shooting sports are appropriate for our nation’s youth। Shooting sports teach life skills—discipline, responsibility, the rewards of hard work, self-control and respect for others.

Well done Corporal Roger Daniel, and rest in peace Lloyd Henry; your protégé has done you proud, yet again.

New shotgun slug

The Hexolit 32

Not airgun related, but a revolutionary, new shotgun slug that almost guarantees immediate stopping of prey, bad guys। Shotgun hunters should have fun experimenting with it.

“A slug with an extremely enormous impact effect. When hitting the body, the frontal part of the slug instantly increases from 18.5 to 36-38 mm in diameter – this is the largest slug expansion diameter ever known. It creates an entrance hole with a 3.5 cm diameter, hits powerfully with all its expansion area and disintegrates into six symmetric splinters. The splinter cone causes an extensive area of damage. The unified effect of a hydrodynamic and pneumatic shockwave inside the body, along with splinter damage, ensures an unique instant stopping effect with the Hexolit 32 slug, which provides good results even with imperfect hits.”

“Food prices will definitely increase this year.”

“Food prices will definitely increase this year।”-Greig Laughlin, president of the T&T Manufactures’ Association (TTMA).

This morning I paid $120 for 30 lbs of food (fruit and veg) at the market.

So at $4/lb x 52 weeks, my family will eat 1,560 lbs of fruit and veg at a cost of $6240 in 2011. All things being equal. Since food is the most volatile of the consumables used to measure inflation, and 2007/8 saw food price increases of 25-40%, then that $6240 can increase to $7800 or even $8736!

Growing food is no longer an option, it is imperative। My goal is to grow and harvest 312 lbs (20% of 1560) of food from our garden this year. I’ll have to buy a kitchen scale and weigh all harvests. Tomatoes, cassava and pumpkin should provide the bulk, followed by corn, peas and melongene. Assorted fruit, veg and herbs will round it off.

After my first harvest of peas, I noticed the “$10/lb” sign at the market and silently chuckled।

A happy and health new year to all readers।

Health, wealth, 200 countries, 200 years

A most interesting simplified presentation of history of world health and food, encompassing 200 countries in 200 years, compressed into less than five minutes.

Colombian village swallowed by the earth

"Gramalote is a Colombian municipality and town located in the department of North Santander। Currently, the complete destruction of the town is considered imminent due to massive mudslides brought about by unprecedented flooding that most of Colombia has undergone.

Its average temperature is 23 °C and its height of 1040 meters above sea level। Prior to the 2010 Colombian floods it had a population of 7853 inhabitants. It was founded twice, the second time in 1857 to less than one kilometer from the first 1883."

2011 is said to have more severe weather in store for us in T&T। Harsher dry season, followed by flooding. Could we lose – not just the odd house-built-near-a-river-or-precipice – but an entire village? Or two? Devil’s Woodyard in Princes Town, perhaps?

When your neighbour house on fire…

Venezuela to host Iran missiles?

Anna Mahjar-Barducci reports that Iran will place medium-range missiles in Venezuela under a November 2010 agreement between the two countries। The report states that the missiles can reach the USA।

If this is true, then we in Trinidad and Tobago need to develop a strategic plan to deal with any possible war scenarios between those three countries। After all, we are only eight miles off the coast of Venezuela! If US warships (or military bases in Colombia) lob missiles intended for Venezuela and said missiles veer off course by 10 miles in an easterly direction…

Venezuelan assets are not all inland either. Some targeted Venezuelan assets can be oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Paria. T&T and Venezuela also has a recently signed energy-sharing agreement।

One would hope that the Ministry of National Security has a well-refined plan to deal with this new threat to our nation’s interest, wellbeing and survival.

FAO predicts 2011 20% world food price inflation

The UK Guardian yesterday:

“The UN today warned that food prices could rise by 10%-20% next year after poor harvests and an expected rundown of global reserves. More than 70 African and Asian countries will be the worst hit, said the Food and Agricultural Organisation in its monthly report.

In its gloomiest forecast since the 2007/08 food crisis, which saw food riots in more than 25 countries and 100 million extra hungry people, the report's authors urged states to prepare for hardship.”

“…food riots in more than 25 countries and 100 million extra hungry people…”

That was 2007/8, how severe will 2011 (and beyond) be?
Check what a non-UN world food analyst says about wheat (the 20% wheat flour price increase I noticed locally)
‘"2011 will not be a good harvest. The condition of winter wheat crops is not good. Neither the US nor Russia are expecting good harvests," said Lester Brown, founder of the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute.’

Buy food and stockpile now, even if you have to use credit. Food won’t get any cheaper in the short or medium term. Stockpiling food and growing food (including raising livestock) are two of the best ways to increase food security.

We have been warned.

Even more food price increases

Three months ago, I paid $50 per 10kg bag of wheat flour. That same bag cost $60 today. An increase of 20%! Or a basic commodity that all Trinis use, regularly (if not daily).

Chicken prices are up at one of the biggest producers. An increase varying between 3-5%. Prepare for even more food inflation in the short and medium term.


On a positive note, I bought more food grade lidded buckets. So more food storage. The garden continues to produce fresh tasty healthy food, with enough to share in the bounty. Growing new soil is really fun, rewarding and satisfying.

Food prices rise yet again

Food prices are on the rise. Again. Remember the bad old days of 2007? They’re here again. In the last 4-6 weeks I’ve noticed a trend developing. Quietly – as is the custom – packages have shrunk in content, but the prices remain the same. Prices have increased, sometimes with attendant re-branding. Sometimes not.

Sugar, flour, tinned beans and peas, fruit juices, even chicken Vienna sausages. The increases have ranged between 10-33.3%.

Our family has started doing what we can to alleviate the strain these price increases will create. We are planting more food, while buying whatever we can in bulk. Planting food and sharing your garden’s bounty has a wonderful effect. There is instant gratification from being charitable, and there is sometimes a delayed gratification from receiving homegrown food from other gardeners. Talk about a win-win situation!



The Ministry of Food Production celebrates this year’s World Food Day, themed “United Against Hunger” with a Food Fest Exhibition at the University of the West Indies St Augustine campus tomorrow, Friday 12th November 2010.

The Ministry promises,
“visitors can check out Exhibitor Booths showcasing local agricultural produce, seafood and livestock, including local game (wild meat), get some shopping done at the Market Place, see live animals on display, sample tasty local delicacies such as wild meat, vegetable burgers, cassava granola and crayfish, and take a cinematic tour of our islands’ agricultural heritage.

There will also be tours of The UWI Zoology museum, diabetes testing, and free seeds and seedlings available.”

Sounds promising.

Smart to be prepared

Colonel Rodney Smart, acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) says what is obvious: “…it's better to have a well prepared citizenry that an under prepared one,". This blog has been beating that particular drum for years. In fact, preparedness is part of our raison d’etre.

AirgunsTT commends the ODPM and our national government on decisive action last Friday, with regard to warnings on Tropical Storm Tomas. Just look at the resultant damage to Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines. They received late warnings.