Efforts to resuscitate the Coconut Industry inย Grenada continues, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands provides support to farmers whoย benefitted from a tissue culture coconut initiative in 2016.
The initiative was supported by the Government of Grenada, through the Ministry of Agricultureย and Lands, the Yucatan Centre for Scientific Research (CICY), the Mexican Embassy in Stย Lucia and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Through this collaborative venture, Grenada was provided with tissue-cultured plants to addressย the rehabilitation of the coconut industry, through the provision and establishment of improved,ย early bearing cultivars that are high yielding, disease-resistant and of good tasting quality. Oneย farmer, Joy Peters, who received 15 of these plants in 2016, is now preparing for the harvestingย of coconuts.
During a visit to Petersโ farm on Aug. 14, 2020, at La Sagesse, St. David, he said, โI was veryย happy being one of those farmers selected to grow the coconut and to show my appreciation, theย least I could have done is to take care of the coconut plants. I wanted to make sure the Ministryย and IICA were happy to see the work that I was doing to contribute to the rehabilitation of theย coconut industry in Grenada.โ
The field visit was undertaken by a delegation, which comprised of the Minister for Agricultureย and Lands, Hon. Yolande Bain-Horsford; Honorary Consul for Mexico to Grenada, Magdalenaย Fielden; National Specialist at IICA, Derek Charles, and Agronomist, with responsibility forย coconuts in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Troy Augustine.
Minister Bain-Horsford commended Peters for the work that he has done on his farm andย committed the Ministryโs support towards this project.
The Minister said, โI was delighted to see the work he has done on this plot. We at the Ministryย are trying to resuscitate the coconut industry. It is a joy for us that Mr. Petersโ farm is standingย out,โ she added.
The tissue cultured plants, which came in from Mexico, took approximately three months in theย nursery and were hardened for approximately six months before they were handed over toย farmers.
According to the Honorary Consul for Mexico to Grenada, Mrs. Magdalena Fielden, โMexicoย had the seedlings to start this project. When we received them, these plants were babies. I amย happy to see how tall and healthy they are. I will do my utmost to have discussion aimed atย getting more seeds.โ
Agronomist, Troy Augustine, who has been working with the crop for about 10 years said, โTheย plants imported from Mexico are high yielding, disease-resistant and can begin bearing withinย four years and in the fifth year produce fully. We are committed to getting these trees into fullย production and to get more farmers involved so they can have an additional income.โ
IICAโs National Specialist, Mr. Derek Charles, stated that the recent visit was one of the ways ofย assessing the outcome of the project, by ensuring that Grenada has created the basic capacityย required to rehabilitate the coconut industry and has access to improved early-bearing coconutsย that are high yielding and disease resistant.
The Ministry of Agriculture is ensuring that sustained planting comes from good plantingย material and in this regard anticipates that the nuts from the tissue cultured coconut palms willย provide a lot more coconut seeds that many more farmers can benefit from, to establish newย fields or extend already established plots. More than 20 farmers benefited from the project. Theย Ministry of Agriculture and Lands continues to offer technical support to the benefiting farmers.
