Above: a cocoa tree
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Farmers in St Vincent and the Grenadines are working to rehabilitate their old cocoa fields with plans to re-introduce the crop, according to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ministry intends to carry out a series of rehabilitation exercises on fields throughout the country, following the model of a demonstration given last year.
The project is part of an island-wide training programme targeting the major production issues that affect crop yields and quality.
In August, the country signed a Memorandum of Understanding with London-based firm ARMAJARO Trading Limited to reintroduce coca in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Caribbean has been on a region-wide push to promote agriculture, from St Lucia’s efforts to revive gardening (and save its banana sector) to the Bahamas’ organic farming programme.