CARDI COCONUT WORKSHOP (part 1)

On Tuesday12th September, the Caribbean Agriculture Research & Development Institute (CARDI) held a meeting with Extension staff, farmers, and other stakeholders on Coconut farming. The newly appointed CARDI representative, Mr. Junior Orlando Greene hosted this event with the collaboration of Dr. Millicent Wallace and Mr. Othniel Minott the ‘Coconut Experts’.

Both professionals did PowerPoint presentations pertaining to several main attributes of coconut production. These were some of the requirements outlined in one of the presentations called “Basic Guide for Establishing Coconut Farms”:

· Site Selection

· Land Preparation

· Planting & Plant Spacing

· Intercropping (advantages and disadvantages)

· Fertilizers, application and Fertilization

· Nutrient requirements and deficiencies

Another presentation focused on topics such as:

· Genetic Integrity

· Pollination

· Hybrid

· Physical signs of the different coconut trees

· Importance of Boron and other nutrients

Some of the topics Mr. Greene reiterated the importance of fore-knowledge before the commencement of any project and advised strongly that producers must be aware of symptoms and signs pertaining to diseases such as lethal yellowing, the importance of nutrients such as Boron, quantity, type, and application of fertilizers, and the need for a follow up hands-on session in the field. He promised the participants that both facilitators would return shortly for that exercise.

The Ministry of Agriculture through its Forestry Division launched its Coconut Rehabilitation Project last September and synergized with CARDI with the propagation, storage, and distribution of coconut seedlings. It is anticipated that the assistance from these experts would enhance and optimize the benefits of the project.