Annual Agriculture Review 2008 - Government of Grenada

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Performance of the Nutmeg Subsector and Assessment and Impact of Supporting Statutory Association ...continued because of its limited financial resources. Some of the programmes introduced such as the farm rehabilitation, land clearing, and harvesting of nutmegs in abandoned fields together with the government’s rehabilitation programme and farmers own initiatives, contributed to the slight increase in nutmeg collection recorded in the year under review. In the land clearing programmes, 30% of nutmeg sales from fields cleared were retrieved for loan repayments, whilst the Association also held 30% of the revenue from sales of nutmegs on abandoned fields. Limited research activities were conducted in 2008, however, emphasis was placed on propagation. Selected seeds with desirable traits such as high quality mace, large fruit size and tree conservation were identified and used for propagation. Seeds laboratory tested for saffrole by an international pharmaceutical company were also propagated. Farmers with this specific type of nutmegs received a premium price of $3.50 per pound from the company. GCNA also fostered a relationship with the University of the West Indies to identify areas where research would be needed. In addition to the inadequate research and development activities conducted by the GCNA, some critical problems which impeded the profitability of the organization in the past affected the Association again in 2008. These were: inadequate market research, absence of a comprehensive marketing strategy, deficiency in new product development, heightened trade freight cost, limited finances, inadequate production and most recently, competition for substitutes to the nutmeg products. The Nutmeg Association is also cognizant of many opportunities to increase the value in returns to nutmeg producers, such as opportunities for agro-processing to extract essential oils such as oleoresin, the increase in demand for low aflatoxin and also the demand for organic nutmegs. There is therefore a critical urgency to stimulate and enhance nutmeg production in Grenada. The potential competition from other nutmeg producing countries specifically, Jamaica, Brazil, India and Papa New Guinea must also be taken into consideration. Human Resource Capacity Generally, human resources available for the operation at the GCNA in 2008 were inadequate. This was the case especially in the capacity of quality assessment. It is imperative that the organization adhere to international standards such as the necessary product testing, documentations of results, recording, monitoring of stations, and compliance to HACCP regulations. An Officer functioned provisionally in the capacity for the past year with basic understanding of the processes, however, a qualified professional with accreditation in Biology, Chemistry and exposure to international standards such as HACCP, Codex and ISO, should have been employed. Much of the work in the department, including moisture testing was forwarded to the Produce Chemist Laboratory where a fee was paid for services provided. The Grenada Bureau of Standards also provided assistance upon request. The GCNA has not been able to hire a Quality Officer due to its financial constraints in the past year. The Association also functioned with one Field Officer to monitor field operations for approximately 6000 farmers. Capacity building is a critical necessity for the GCNA. Station Managers and Field Officers should be trained in HACCP to improve awareness and adherence to food standards and its importance when processing a food. Other employees especially those at collection stations need to acquire computer skills so that the computerization of the operations of the GCNA can be realized. Agriculture Knowledge Impartation In collaboration with the Pest Management Unit and the Grenada Cocoa Association, the GCNA established demonstration plots in St. Andrew Bellevue Estate, St. George Estate, Purcell’s Estate and some other selected farms. The GCNA has also distributed flyers with the prescribed procedures for planting and care for plantlets. No training was given to farmers for the period under review. The Epicotyl Grafting Project, partially funded by the G-REP, was implemented. The grafting technique was expected to improve the overall quality of planting materials made available to farmers. Inter-Ministry Activity Integration The Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association benefited from harmonious relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture. The Association also fostered good relationship with the Pest Management Unit and requested assistance and advice from subject specialists at the Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, the GCNA has been in discussion with the Grenada Cocoa Association in consideration of possible amalgamation. The merger of these two associations is expected to yield numerous benefits including cost effectiveness, improved organizational operations, an apt business model and structured markets. The progress of merger activities remains dependent on farmers’ request for capitalization of the GCNA prior to the amalgamation. 46
Projects for Future Development The development of the nutmeg industry in Grenada is essential for Economic Development. All stakeholders would be required to work forcefully and conscientiously to ensure the future progress and incessant development of this sub-sector. It is imperative that any strategic plan for future development of the industry must be inclusive of the following critical areas: programmes to stimulate production, research and development, development of germplasm bank, manufacturing facilities that would encourage the processing of value added products and most importantly, the modernization of all processing plants with ISO and HACCP certification which is critical since in the near future quality regulations and standards enforced by the European Market may prove to be a major barrier to nutmeg trade. 47
Page 2 and 3: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry a
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents Foreword 4 Perman
Page 6 and 7: Foreword Hon. Michael Denis Lett Th
Page 8 and 9: Permanent Secretary Remarks Mrs. Ge
Page 10 and 11: Introduction ...continued agricultu
Page 12 and 13: Extension Services Agro- Tourism Th
Page 14 and 15: Performance of Fruits, Vegetables a
Page 28 and 29: Performance of the Livestock Subsec
Page 30 and 31: Performance of the Livestock Subsec
Page 32 and 33: Performance of the Fisheries Subsec
Page 34 and 35: Performance of the Fisheries Subsec
Page 36 and 37: Performance of the Forestry Subsect
Page 38 and 39: Performance of the Agro-Processing
Page 40 and 41: Performance of the Agro-Processing
Page 42 and 43: Performance of the Spice Subsector
Page 44 and 45: Performance of the Cocoa Subsector
Page 46 and 47: Performance of the Nutmeg Subsector
Page 50 and 51: Ministry of Agriculture’s 4H Move
Page 52 and 53: Ministry of Agriculture’s Project
Page 54 and 55: Support Received From Collaborating
Page 56 and 57: 54 • Provided financial and techn
Page 58 and 59: Grenada’s Agrarian Economy - Expl
Page 60 and 61: Grenada’s Agrarian Economy - Expl
Page 62 and 63: Why the Development of a Scientific
Page 64 and 65: Why the Development of a Scientific
Page 66 and 67: Agricultural Production Data - Pivo
Page 68 and 69: With Agriculture Production Data or
Page 70 and 71: List of Figures & Tables Figures Fi
Page 72 and 73: Contact Information Ministerial Div
Page 74 and 75: Grenada’s Annual Agriculture Revi
Page 76: CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE YOU CAN BE..

Annual Agriculture Review 2008 - Government of Grenada

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