Government is pushing ahead with plans to develop a viable coconut industry here.
During the first in a series of stakeholder meetings at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic this morning, Chief Economist in the Ministry of Agriculture Suzette Edey-Babb told the gathering of mostly planters that the industry had the potential to generate substantial income.
However, she said Government was taking “a value chain approach” to its development “by meeting the players in each sector and finding out what they need, so that we can better develop policies to govern it”.
Currently, there are said to be over 60 coconut water vendors in Barbados.
And amid growing interest in planting the crop for commercial purposes, officials say more businesses are using coconut-derived products in their operations.
However, the Caribbean is faced with numerous challenges, including high input and labour costs.
This morning Ansari Hosein, the local representative for the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), also said the region’s aging population was a factor, so too its “limited coconut gene pool, lack of quality planting material, prevalence of diseases, inadequate research and development, and the lack of an integrated approach to developing the sector”.
In response to those concerns, Senior Agricultural Officer with the Plant Quarantine Department Michael James singled out Brazil as a potential source market for planting materials.
“We wrote to our counterparts in that country to find out what diseases and insects they were grappling with in their coconut industry, and our aim is to ensure that we do not create a situation where some of those pests end up over here.
“Any area you want to bring coconut plants from must be free from lethal yellowing, and if you want to bring in tissue culture or nuts you must ask permission from the Plant Quarantine Department first. If not, we will either send the plants back or destroy them,” he warned.
Planters were also advised that since coconut palms took a long time to mature — three to six years in the case of dwarf coconuts and six to ten years for the taller ones — it would make sense to intercrop them with other commodities like sweet potatoes and hot peppers over a seven-year period.
Over the next two weeks the ministry will also meet with coconut vendors and processors.
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Barbados for umpteen years being getting hard or dried coconuts from the islands and all of a sudden some smartie wants to stop the poor vendor from making a dollar. At present all the coconuts that the venders sell is the water. I know that Jamaica exports coconut water by a company call Grace and maybe another company. You can`t just get up one morning and think that Barbados could produce that amount of coconuts, build a can and bottling plant and compete with the countries that have coconut trees as far as your eyes could see. The only export Barbados had was the sugar and that`s finished, every thing else is imported and that`s how it will be.
Barbados for umpteen years being getting hard or dried coconuts from the islands and all of a sudden some smartie wants to stop the poor vendor from making a dollar. At present all the coconuts that the venders sell is the water. I know that Jamaica exports coconut water by a company call Grace and maybe another company. You can`t just get up one morning and think that Barbados could produce that amount of coconuts, build a can and bottling plant and compete with the countries that have coconut trees as far as your eyes could see. The only export Barbados had was the sugar and that`s finished, every thing else is imported and that`s how it will be.
J.Payne; After all these humpteen years some one now comes up with the idea of coconut farming knowing very well Barbados don`t have the land to produce coconuts on a big scale, to sell to who and to set up a bottling or canning plant is out of the question, the islands could supply Barbados, so all they want to do is stop the poor venders from making a living, Right now they still have to bring in the hard nut because what they don`t stay on the trees to become dried.
J.Payne; After all these humpteen years some one now comes up with the idea of coconut farming knowing very well Barbados don`t have the land to produce coconuts on a big scale, to sell to who and to set up a bottling or canning plant is out of the question, the islands could supply Barbados, so all they want to do is stop the poor venders from making a living, Right now they still have to bring in the hard nut because what they don`t stay on the trees to become dried.
Government also put real money into the "RIVER TAMARIND" trees ....... for nothing.
Plant more coconut trees alongside the 40 acres of breadfruit trees that Ronald Jones is planning on.
Who says that these trees will produce ? Look around. when last have you seen an abundance of those precious little creatures which pollinate our plants? Honey Bees , Ladybirds, Yellow Breasts, Dr Boobies, Brown and Black cow bees.
Government also put real money into the "RIVER TAMARIND" trees ....... for nothing.
Plant more coconut trees alongside the 40 acres of breadfruit trees that Ronald Jones is planning on.
Who says that these trees will produce ? Look around. when last have you seen an abundance of those precious little creatures which pollinate our plants? Honey Bees , Ladybirds, Yellow Breasts, Dr Boobies, Brown and Black cow bees.
Well written! It's a potential industry and money earner just look at the beverage and cosmetic shelves in NY City!
Well written! It's a potential industry and money earner just look at the beverage and cosmetic shelves in NY City!
With the high rate of diabetes, why not grow karela (bitter melon). It is available in every supermarket in Canada's major cities, fresh, frozen or as pills at the Pharmacies in Canada. But when I visit Barbados it is hard to find. Supermarkets could sell it. It is a simple crop taking about 6 to 8 weeks to harvest. It is needed as a cheap alternative to other remedies which are not natural. BAS should promote it, the excess could be exported.
With the high rate of diabetes, why not grow karela (bitter melon). It is available in every supermarket in Canada's major cities, fresh, frozen or as pills at the Pharmacies in Canada. But when I visit Barbados it is hard to find. Supermarkets could sell it. It is a simple crop taking about 6 to 8 weeks to harvest. It is needed as a cheap alternative to other remedies which are not natural. BAS should promote it, the excess could be exported.