St Kitts and Nevis: Farmers invited to Pineapple Production Workshop

St Kitts and Nevis: The government of St Kitts and Nevis has announced a Pineapple Production Workshop to be held on 28^th August 2024 to train the farmers with innovative cultivation practices and achieve national agricultural goals.

The workshop will take place in the Department of Agriculture Large Conference Room at 5:30 pm and will cover several topics vital to healthy and organic farming of the crop.

This workshop is part of the 25 by 25 initiative launched to reduce the region’s rising food import costs, improve trade possibilities, and create better economic opportunities among locals.

The 25 by 25 is a collective step by CARICOM member states partnering with Regional Organizations, Producer Groups, and Development Partners.

The Pineapple workshop will include a detailed discussion on topics including its history, distribution, and World production. The event will also focus on a study of Morphology, Anatomy, and taxonomy of the crop.

However, the key area of discussion will be the study of different varieties and their breeding. Notably, this study will lead the farmers to choose the best variety to get better yield and quality according to the growing conditions their fields provide.

Production systems will be another major topic for discussion as they are crucial for better management in the fields. This will further lead to easy access, better yield, and effective pest control across the fields.

In addition to this, topics including plant nutrition, pests, and diseases will be thoroughly discussed. This will include a detailed and comprehensive address of plant nutrition as the pineapple plant is a heavy feeder and relies excessively on fertilizer.

Iron deficiency is one of the major nutrition deficiencies that the crop faces, however a thorough application of a complete source of N-P-K organic fertilizer every two months can help combat the deficiency.

Pineapple being a single-harvest crop with a longer growing period often acquires bacterial or fungal diseases including Bacterial Heart Rot, Butt Rot, Pink Disease, fruit rot, and more. The timely application of fungicides and insecticide, however can help manage the diseases.

The launch of this new workshop will provide the farmers with an effective knowledge of pineapple production, further leading to increased production of the fruit. The workshop aims to increase employability and create economic opportunities for the country.