Increased demand for bananas – Caesar

There is an increased demand for bananas from St Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar made this claim earlier this week, as he gave an update on several issues relating to the country’s agricultural sector.

According to Caesar, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are particularly interested in purchasing more bananas from St Vincent.

“There is a current demand for bananas, an increased demand for bananas from the Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago markets. We have not been able to meet the demand,” the Agriculture Minister said.

Caesar explained that this increase in demand is because of a fall off in the quantities of banana imported by these countries from Central America and the Dominican Republic.

“The quantities that were received traditionally into Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago from Central America and the Dominican Republic is significantly reduced because of the negative impact that black sigatoka is having on banana production in Central America,” he said.

The Minister revealed that this country will receive 100,000 banana plantlets in about a month’s time from Israel, which will allow for the planting and cultivation of approximately 142 acres.

“This is definitely a positive sign, an encouraging sign for farmers who are into banana production to increase their acreages,” he said.

“Of course, this is good news for our farmers and when I analyze the statistics of the take-up of banana plantlets from the tissue culture lab in Orange Hill, we see a significant increase in terms of the take-up from the Orange Hill station.”(BK)