THE COCONUT Industry Board (CIB) is seeking to expand coconut production in Hanover, and is urging more farmers in the parish to participate in its replanting programme which started some four years ago.
Under the programme, farmers in possession of land are provided with seedlings and an annual grant for maintenance of the crop for five years.
Easton Fraser, CIB parish officer for Hanover, at a meeting in Lucea recently, pointed out that approximately 100 farmers within the parish were already benefiting under the programme, but said that a lot more farmers could be accommodated.
COCONUT SEEDLINGS
Participating farmers, he said, would be provided with at least 125 coconut seedlings, which they would plant on half hectare of land.
"The farmer will receive the seedlings free of cost (and) after a year, they will receive the necessary fertiliser accompanied by a weed grant. The benefit will be recurrent for five years, but the coconut will have to be in the ground," Mr. Fraser explained, noting that the crop would be ready for reaping in the fifth year.
Meanwhile, he informed that a school coconut farming competition was instituted to encourage youth involvement in the replanting effort.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Knockalva Technical, Merlene Ottey High and Brownsville, Clifton, Chester Castle, Maryland and Rock Spring all-age schools, are the participating institutions.
Judging on the performance of these schools was carried out earlier this month, and a presentation of prizes will take place tomorrow.
The CIB parish manager outlined the many by-products that could be had from coconut, adding that it was a perfect product around which a cottage industry could be developed.
