Black Sigatoka Disease to be tackled by French scientists

Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar has announced that a team comprising four French scientists will visit St Vincent and the Grenadines to assist in the ongoing fight against the Black Sigatoka Disease, which is severely hampering the nation’s banana industry.{{more}}

The scientists’ planned visit comes as a result of the Minister’s recent trip to St. Lucia, where he met with a number of stakeholders in the banana industry.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Caesar said he received a confirmation letter on Monday morning from the Ambassador of France to the OECS, which stated France’s support to assisting this country with the Black Sigatoka Disease.

The letter reads: “Honourable Minister, following the meeting between the Honourable Minister Saboto and his Excellency the Ambassador Prom, the Embassy of France to the OECS Member States is pleased to announce you the confirmation of the CIRAD mission to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in April.

“The CIRAD team will soon be contacting the project partners in the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ministry of Agriculture to confirm the exact planning of the mission and has already announce its willingness to be meeting with the Honourable Minister Saboto and his team in order to discuss the situation in Saint Vincent and a possible timeline of action…”

The names of three of the four scientists were also given in the confirmation letter.

Claire Amar – Agronom researcher in change of the transfer of banana hybrids resilient to Black Leaf Disease; Charles Meynard – Agronom engineer, banana cultivation and nematologie specialist; Eric Foure – Researcher, plant pathologist and Black Leaf Disease specialist.

Caesar encouraged banana farmers to have confidence in Operation Cut back and to remain focused as his Ministry continues to put plans in place in an effort to inject life into the banana industry.(AA)