Farmer believes banana will regain top spot as main crop

Richland Park resident Errol Porter, a farmer with 46 years experience, believes banana will regain its rightful place as the country’s main crop.{{more}}

Porter, who farms on two acres of land, says that despite the Black Sigatoka and Moko diseases destroying his crops in the past, he remains committed to making banana his main crop.

“I am very interested in going back fully in banana.

“I cultivate as much as I can. Right now I want about 1,000 slips and I am hoping of putting in about two acres of these tissue culture plants. I have a field growing presently from the original banana suckers that is about an acre and is in the bearing stage.

“So I am trying to increase my production by putting in a lot more. So, as I get the slips I plant them,” the farmer stated.

The 60-year-old farmer was speaking to members of the media from the back of his truck, where he was collecting banana plants from the Orange Hill tissue culture lab on Tuesday, February 19.

“I am also encouraging other farmers in the Marriaqua Valley to go back into banana,” Porter said.

He explained that there are a lot of farmers from his area who are very interested in replanting their fields, but are unable to do so because of the limited tissue culture plants available.

“Due to the fact that they can’t get the plants that they really should at this time is why some people are not really plunging like I am, but as long as they get the slips, they are willing to go back into banana.

“I know that banana will take its place back.”

“For me banana has provided the most, compared to the other crops I planted, such as dasheen and other root crops,” Porter added.(AA)