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Project
Description:
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The
objective of the project is to strengthen this sector of the economy and
to create incentives so that the farmers do not turn to the production
of illicit crops. This project focuses its activities on the production,
certification and organic commercialization of the banana tree.
During
2002, CICAD and the Ministry of Agriculture of Dominica initiated the
implementation of the preventative alternative development project
"Organic Production of Banana and Integrated Pest Management that
Attack the Banana.” For the completion of this project, CICAD and the
Government of Dominica signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 11,
2002. Until this moment, six farms have been certified as producers of
organic banana and were also selected by the Hillsborough station as
experimental plots, in which the process of preparation of grounds has
begun and the seeds of 7000 banana trees were planted. Two civil
employees of the Ministry of Agriculture were trained in organic
production and management of nutrients. The coordinator of the project
has also received training in the integrated management of pests and
composting.
Long
term goals of this project include:
- To
determine suitable crop rotations by ecological zones
- To
improve soil conservation techniques, linked to farm layout and
minimization of labor input
- Develop
a suitable leaf spot (sigatoka) control program by ecological zones
- Determination
of minimum acceptable buffer zone along streams, rivers, etc.
- Improved
farm data and information management
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