Banana Farmers across the country have begun receiving Fertilizer from the Ministry of Agriculture, as part of the Banana Accompanying Measures, or BAM Project.
The distribution process was preceded by a short ceremony held at the La Croix Palletization Plant yesterday.
Koroma Browne, Head of the Banana Services Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture, gave a brief over-view of the project and stated that in 2013 the government deemed it important that some of the monies from the European Union needed to be re-invested into the Banana production.
Mr. Browne said that over the years our soils have deteriorated and we currently have a lot of soils that are acidic. He noted that all Banana Farmers would be given fertilizer, to improve production.
Meanwhile, Saboto Ceasar, Minister of Agriculture said there will be a re-positioning of personnel in the Banana Services Unit, to ensure that the Ministry is equipped to lead the process of re-building the Banana Industry.
Addressing yesterday’s ceremony, Minister Ceasar said this will be done early in the New Year. He asked for appreciation and understanding that all of these things are being done so that we can give greater efficiency to Banana Farmers and Planting Farmers of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Minister Ceasar also appealed to Banana Farmers to work with the Ministry to reduce the spread of Black Sigatoka. He said that they need a concerted effort, a union between the work of the farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture.
