Upgraded Tissue Culture Lab opens at Orange Hill

An upgraded and refurbished Tissue Culture Laboratory was opened this week, with the objective of increasing the production of root and tuber crops, through the introduction of improved production and marketing technologies.{{more}}

To mark the official opening, the keys to the laboratory were handed over to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves on Tuesday, at a ceremony at the lab’s site at Orange Hill.

Initiated in October 2010, the laboratory is part of a US$3 million project funded by the Common Fund for Commodities CFC/EU, from which six Caribbean countries, including St Vincent and the Grenadines, benefited.

The project expanded over a two-year period and was coordinated by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), in collaboration with respective Ministries of Agriculture in the region.

SVG was awarded US$550,000, based on the four components budgeted for the local leg of the project.

The laboratory, which was constructed at a cost of EC$1,219,500, has a floor space of 2,100 square feet and a capacity to produce 600,000 plants per year.

Prime Minister Gonsalves, who gave an overview of the lab, said credit must be given to the Taiwanese government who initially constructed the facility.

He explained that in March 2011, Taiwan’s Ambassador handed over the facility, which, at the time, had an annual capacity of 300,000 and 400,000 tissue culture plants such as bananas, plantains, yams, dasheen and pineapple.

It was also disclosed that as a result of the expansion, more space is now available for the doubling of the production of bananas to 240,000 plants per year.

“Which is a fantastic improvement,” the PM said.

“This Orange Hill farm up here, is not only designated as a research centre for the high quality of banana and root crop planting materials, but also the production of high quality vegetable seedlings.

“Get this; it has a capacity of producing 12,800 seedlings, one hundred trays a day or 153,000 plants per month. Now this is real intensive propagation,” Dr. Gonsalves stated.

Agriculture minister, Saboto Caesar, in his remarks said the addition to the lab is a testimony that the agriculture sector of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is “evolving before our very eyes”.

“The steps to be taken will ensure greater contribution of the tissue culture lab in the thrust towards modernization of the agricultural sector here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and it becomes the centre of excellence and I repeat, the centre of excellence for bio-technology in the Southern Caribbean,” Caesar said.

The Minister also expressed appreciation to CARDI, the EU, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, for their efforts made towards the project, which, according to him, is an addition to the growth and development of the agricultural sector here.

“As we all know, the agricultural sector and the banana industry in particular has historically been of critical importance to the growth and development of the economy of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“It has provided income, employment and an improved way of life for many Vincentians,” he added.

The other speakers at Tuesday’s ceremony included Dr Gregory Robin, CARDI’s representative to SVG and Dr Arlington Chesney, Executive Director of CARDI, who both expressed CARDI’s commitment to the project.

Following the ceremony, a brief tour was given of the facility, during which persons had the opportunity to view the several hundred seedlings that are already on the newly installed racks and other upgraded utilities installed at the laboratory.(AA)