SVG awaits banana quality assessment scores from the UK

Following the completion of a three-week trial shipment of bananas to the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Agriculture has reported that a total 4,635 boxes were shipped.{{more}}

Last Sunday marked the third and final trial shipment, and according to Acting Manager of WINFARM Ena Richardson, “the three-week trial was a success.”

Richardson told SEARCHLIGHT on Monday that the bananas produced by farmers here “were of great quality” and commended them for their efforts.

According to a report from Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar, 2,001 boxes of bananas were received in Kingstown by WINFARM last Sunday.

The report also states that forty-one pallets, amounting to 1,845 boxes, were shipped to the UK and 105 boxes were rejected.

The Minister said they are now awaiting the quality assessment scores for the bananas shipped to the United Kingdom.

“The ship taking the first week’s shipment (week sixteen) arrived in the UK on Sunday and a complete assessment of the quality scores will be given in two weeks’ time,” Caesar explained.

While awaiting the assessment from the UK, the Agriculture Minister said it will be business as usual for the farmers.

“Farmers will continue to cut and ship their bananas…. It is business as usual in the farms,” he added.

“We stress the importance of maintaining the high quality of bananas that we ship out of St Vincent and the Grenadines and for farmers to maintain the cultural practices needed to ensure that the bananas that we ship out of SVG are of a high quality.”

The Minister also expressed appreciation to the farmers and all the stakeholders involved for their efforts in assisting with reviving the banana industry.

With approximately 100 acres of abandoned farms left to cut back, Caesar says the next order of business for the Ministry of Agriculture will be the commencement of Operation Plant Back, which starts June 1.(AA)