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Agricultural officials are seeking to boost the island’s papaya production capacity.
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security was approached by farmers requesting support with the resuscitation of the papaya industry in Barbados.
Since then, the ministry has engaged a number of agencies to lend support to the development of the industry.
In this regard, a Papaya Industry Development Committee was established in 2022 to serve as an inter-agency mechanism to support the advancement of the industry.
To address productivity challenges, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, in partnership with the ministry and the committee, coordinated a workshop for farmers and extension officers on papaya nutrient and integrated pest management on December second and third, at the conference room of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Graeme Hall, Christ Church.
Addressing the workshop, Acting Chief Agriculture Officer Michael James says in the early 80s Barbados had a thriving papaya industry which was wrecked by the bunchy top disease, a viral disease affecting plants which leads to stunted growth.
The workshop will be facilitated by leading Caribbean agronomists from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The training will feature both technical presentations and a field study tour to farms across Barbados.
The objective of the workshop is to share insights on technology and practices that can aid farmers in enhancing production through improving yields and increasing the harvest period for papaya.
