Sir James Mitchell – Ghana offers to help SVG with cocoa industry

This country has been offered assistance for our fledgling cocoa industry from the West African nation of Ghana.{{more}}

So says former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell, who, during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT, said that during his recent

trip to the 30th plenary meeting of the InterAction Council in China, he spoke with former Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings.

According to Sir James, he had recalled that there were three cocoa centres of excellence: one located in Trinidad, another in Costa Rica and most notably the West African Cocoa Research Institute in Ghana.

“I asked if they still had it and he said yes,” the former prime minister said.

He further explained that he told Rawlings that he was interested in starting cocoa production in St Vincent and that he was looking to the Ghanaian leader for some guidance.

“He said prime minister, choose who you want, send them to me and I will help them get the knowledge…just get in touch with me and I will get in touch with your people,” Sir James said.

He did, however, say that it was not for him to decide who would be going to West Africa, as the matter would have to be discussed with Armajaro and in due course, the discussions will extend to the government.

“And they will have to organize to get the funding to go there…all I can do is to make the arrangement in the best interest of St Vincent,” he said.

He further said that he was pleased with the progress made so far, saying that the current Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar, does not hesitate to call him for advice.

“Because the point is, that after the arrangements were made, and he became Minister of Agriculture he was smart enough to call a meeting with me to be properly briefed on the background,” Sir James explained.

“I am knowledgeable,” he said, adding that his first job was as a cocoa agronomist in St Lucia.

He further contended that the reasons why he went into cocoa was because he had prior knowledge and he realized that the banana industry was failing and that predial larceny was one of the biggest problems facing farmers in the country, but he knew that there cannot be much predial larceny when dealing with cocoa. (DD)