The Taiwan Technical Mission, in cooperation with Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-operatives held “Banana Plants Preparation” workshops in Deglos, La Caye, Grace, Roseau, Woodland and Micoud on April 11th, 18th, 25th and on May 2nd, 9th, and 16th, 2019.
An agricultural specialist from the Taiwan Technical Mission introduced Saint Lucian farmers to cultivation and management techniques of tissue culture plantlets in order to explain the pros and cons of tissue culture plantlets and suckers. Saint Lucian farmers were also provided with a new cultivation model for banana farming which can help farmers to create production schedules to avoid harvesting in hurricane seasons, reduce risk from disaster damage, raise banana plantlets survival rate, and stabilize and increase banana production. Also present at these workshops were project extension staff of the Banana Productivity Improvement Project (BPIP). In total there were eight workshops, 320 farmers and officers from various agricultural departments in Saint Lucia.
Representatives from Taiwan’s Embassy here in Saint Lucia have noted that Taiwan is, and will remain a partner in sustainable development for Saint Lucia’s banana industry.