The Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation (ECTAD) has received support to strengthen its organizational capacity in the production and marketing of roots and tubers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).{{more}}

This is being done under the European Union All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme (EU AAACP).

In this respect, ECTAD will be hosting a series of activities including a National Stakeholders meeting planned for November 23, and several one day village workshops.

The support received by FAO will also assist ECTAD to improve the coordination of production and marketing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines through the setting up of a farmers’ counterpart programme which will monitor farm production and assist with providing relevant information to farmers.

Leading farmers have already been identified as field officers and will work actively and effectively alongside farmers with the support from the Ministry’s Extension Unit.

According to Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of ECTAD, ECTAD has identified seven key crops that will be targeted for intra and extra regional export.

These crops are dasheen, sweet potatoes, yams, eddoes, pineapples, plantains and ginger. ECTAD’s role is to assist its farmers and facilitate the access of relevant and up-to-date production and marketing information that is important and critical to secure markets for these key crops.

It will aid in creating employment and income opportunities in rural and agriculture areas”.

ECTAD welcomes the support of all stakeholders including the Ministry of Agriculture, Extension and Plant Quarantine Units; Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI); Inter American Institute for Cooperation of Agriculture (IICA); St. Vincent Bureau of Standards; and other relevant public and private sectors stakeholders towards the sustainable development of agriculture in St. Vincent and the Grenadines through the empowerment of farmers and farmers organisations.

The National Stakeholders planning meeting is scheduled to take place at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce Conference Room, starting at 9:00a.m. Guest speaker and key presenter will be John Soler, Managing Director of Sol Caribbean Ltd and former General Manager of the Caribbean Agricultural Trading Company (CATCO).