The Ministry of Agriculture is putting measures in place to ensure that proper protocol is followed for the weaning and hardening of banana tissue culture plantlets expected on island by April 7th.
These plants were secured from France under the Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM) Programme.
Officials of the Ministry met with stakeholders on Tuesday March 31st to discuss their expectations of the process of weaning and hardening of the plantlets.
This project is part of the technical assistance provided by the BAM supported by the European Union. [It is] part of a pilot project to enhance the capacity of Fair Trade, DAPEX and subsistence farmers.
Head of Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit, Ryan Anselm says these banana plantlets have been verified free of disease and pathogens.
They are also the varieties preferred on the UK market.
Weaning and hardening involves nursing plantlets to prepare for final transplanting onto beds. That process will take place at the smart green house at the One Mile Agricultural Station in Portsmouth.
The Ministry will also receive assistance from the Chinese Agricultural Mission which has provided 700 seedlings for weaning and hardening.
“The smart green house is temperature-controlled and will provide timely irrigation for the weaning of the 20,000 plantlets,” Anselm says.
Stakeholders at the discussion included farmers and officials from Fair Trade and WinFresh and other Ministry of Agriculture and BAM officials.
The Head of Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit assures that this project is significant as it will improve Dominica’s competitiveness on the market.
He said, “It is one step towards improving the capacity of Fair Trade specifically and DAPEX farmers; this will ensure that we have marketable bananas in the near future. We’re also working with a strategic plan of action which targets specific commercial farmers to cultivate five acres. They will be producing 15 boxes per acre on a weekly basis.”
The weaning and hardening process is expected to commence on April 8th.
we need more information on these bananas. Does anyone know whether they are genetically modified? Maybe the minister responsible for agriculture should give farmers more information about the plants. Knowing what I know about GMO, more info. is needed. Not against the idea if it is is “clean”.
Monsanto has penetrated. They have found a way to taint our precious virgin land. The food will be a poison. I know it sounds far out,but people please do your research, open your eyes to what is happening around you. Never thought I would see the day. Smh
I note your comment on Monsanto, There are many mouths in the world to feed. In every aspect of our daily lives, there are risk and what we need to do is weigh the risk against the benefits. If you choose not to eat food produced by GMO crops are or chemically treated, then that your choice. Rather than talk about the Monsanto and GMO’s, tell us about the alternatives to increase food output and have food security. There is statistics to show that people live longer today and countries are increasing the retirement age. But just remember whatever we do, we can’t avoid death.
No one will never convince me that this agriculture people are not mad
You allow you production to die off before you pull out that recovery plan?
The hand writing was on the wall all the time.
God help us dominica with our inept administration.
What is DR. Clayton Shillingford´s advice on this!!He is the expert par excellence!!
Check with Athie Martin see what he has to say, I hear he has a degree in Agronomy, which is a section of Agriculture.
Agronomy is a branch of agriculture dealing with field-crop production, and soil management! Since Athie has a degree in that and has not commented; that tells me he either do not wish to get involve, or has no answer to the problem as everybody else. All the government is doing is fighting a loosing battle: scientist has already discovered that the disease will eventually eliminate the plants out of existence!
So, unless the plants viewed are genetically altered in a way that they become immune to black Sigatoka; the problem will prevail, and if they succeed, who knows what the side effects will be after eating such fruits.
Will it be cancer, or some other deadly killer disease?
These bananas better not be genetically modified.
I been to France, I have been across Europe, I lived in Germany, I lived in England!
I have never seen a banana plantation on the continent of Europe. Banana plants cannot survive the European climate. In winter they all would succumb to snow and ice!
If the plants seen here are from “France” they were grown in a green house, and unless they are genetically, and chemically altered to defend against the disease plaguing the plants in Dominica, and anywhere in the world they are grown, they destine to suffer the same fate as the existing plants on the island. Notice their leaves are fewer than usual, and not as green as regular banana plants.
Only time will tell!
The article reads that the plants were “secured from France” – not “from France”.
“These plants were secured from France under the Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM) Programme.”(DNO).
Warrington, I cannot see your point; I was horrified believing I could not spell France, so that is why I went back and extracted the quote above, to confirm wether I erred or not, I do not think I spelt France incorrectly, if I did then DNO spelt France wrong also.
You have me confused man!
Hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahah!
I can’t see it.
I keep hearing of the great effort in getting the banana plantlets into Dominica and the hardening process, but nothing is being said about the preparation of their permanent transplanted location. These plantlets are free from Black Sigatoka now, but they are not resistant to the disease. The question is what preparatory management activities are being implemented to ensure that these plants do not become infected before they reach the productive stage? This is where the focus and attention should be ASAP, otherwise this project, though significant, will NOT improve Dominica’s competitiveness on the market.
“… We’re also working with a strategic plan of action which targets specific commercial farmers to cultivate five acres. They will be producing 15 boxes per acre on a weekly basis.”
Why do we always seem to be ‘counting our chickens before they are hatched’?
Will the farmers be provided with greenhouse facilities to produce fruits for the European market.
Quality Assurance Engineer