Experts – PINGCO success lies with its members

On December 21, the ‘Pineapple Growers Cooperative Society Limited’ (PINGCO)’ and Taiwan Technical Mission held a workshop on ‘Production and Marketing of Pineapple/Taiwan’s Experience’ at the office of the Mission in Pembroke.{{more}}

During the workshop, attended by more than 20 pineapple farmers and agricultural officers in Region One, Taiwan Technical Mission shared the rich experience in production and marketing with the participants. Dan Richards also stated that production and management of planting pineapples, such as the factors of production, selection of variety and fertilization.

Norgie Tucker – President of PINGCO, who attended the TaiwanICDF Workshop on Women’s Development last November, shared her experience, and emphasized that farmers will benefit from the establishment and operation of farmer organization/corporate. She urged pineapple farmers to move forward in order to have a well operating PINGCO.

Renford Byam also recalled his Taiwan experience when he attended the TaiwanICDF Workshop on Agricultural Marketing and Rural Development last August. He compared two countries in terms of geography, technology, agricultural development. He said that Taiwan has very successful cases on agricultural organization/corporate which Vincentian farmers can explore Taiwan’s experiences.

Carlos Lai, the technician of the Taiwan Mission, explained how to improve pineapple’s production by using effective procedure of planting, harvesting, collecting, grading, packaging and marketing. He stressed the importance of collective will and power of the members of PINGCO. He believed that PINGCO will have a very bright future only if every PINGCO member cooperates with each other.

PINGCO is a newly established farmer corporate in 2010. Its members are from the Leeward area. Its main objectives are to improve the social, economic and physical well-being of its members and by extension the Vincentian populace; to assist in the development and coordination of marketing activities for its members locally and regionally; and to provide members with continuous on farm education at all levels of pineapple production.

Lai said that the Taiwan Mission closely worked with the Ministry of Agriculture to help Leeward pineapple farmers establish PINGCO. The Mission will continue to spare no efforts to make PINGCO succeed when it formally operates in the near future. He also said that PINGCO has attracted more and more members who wish to join. PINGCO is growing!

PINGCO will have another meeting next January. For those who are interested in PINGCO, you are to contact PINGCO or the Taiwan Mission.