The Ministry of Agriculture will be placing emphasis on soursop, nutmeg and cocoa during the 2019 plant distribution season, which will officially commence Thursday, 25 July 2019.
Anticipating a successful distribution drive in 2019, Alison Haynes, agronomist with responsibility for managing the Mirabeau Plant Distribution centre said that although the 3 crops have been given priority, other crops would also be available for sale during the drive.
“Our focus is really on nutmeg, soursop and cocoa but we have a wide array of other economic plants, things like guava, cherry, avocado and passionfruit that we produce each year and distribute to farmers.”
The plant distribution season is one of the annual initiatives by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands to support both commercial and small scale farmers. “The Ministry of Agriculture produces about 20,000 each year and distributes these plans to just over 1,000 farmers, “she added. Plants sold during the exercise are produced at the 4 propagation stations located at Mirabeau and Boulogne in St Andrew, Ashenden in St David and Maran, St John. The ministry through the plant distribution exercise encourages farmers to reestablish fields and increase production of crops.
The plant distribution season runs from July to December. It is however dependent on the demands and the amount of rainfall, Haynes furthered. Explaining the process the agronomist said, “We normally have an application for which you must complete a year in advance, sometime August or September of the previous year, stating the quantity of plants needed for the following year. When the season is open we would call the farmers to let them know the date and time to pick up their orders.”
The plant distribution drive will occur at different distribution points across the island from 25 July.
Ministry of Agriculture
I am a cameroonian living in the United States. I am so fascinated by the great job Grenada is doing in the agricultural sector. I am in the process of planting some soursop amongst other crops back home. Can someone link me with any official or department of the ministry of agriculture andands. I need to get first hand information on how to about planting soursop. I was also wondering whether Grenada intends to embark on the growing oil palms . It is one of the next big things too. Will be very grateful for anyone’s help. Thanks in advance.