– Second shipment of 13,000 coconut seeds arrived at HCIL
WITHIN the framework of the National Coconut Decentralisation Programme initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Hope Coconut Industry Limited (HCIL) has recently received its second shipment of Green Dwarf (AV Brj) coconut seeds, known for their high yield and early bearing, sourced from Brazil.
In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, elucidated that although the government of Guyana has allocated funding for this endeavor, the intended quantity of coconuts was initially set at 13,000.
“For this year, only 13,000 seed nuts were supposed to be imported. However, the MOA backed the proposal to import an extra 13,000 seed nuts to meet the demands of farmers due to the significant demand for this high-producing type among coconut growers nationwide. The first 2000 seed nuts of this high-yielding type were imported in November 2022 with assistance from the EU and the IDB. The quantity of imported seed nuts as well as the number of farmers who have profited have grown dramatically between November 2022 and the present,” Minister Mustapha explained.
Minister Mustapha also added that, as of right now, 216 farmers have directly benefitted from the National Coconut Decentralisation Programme, which is being carried out by HCIL and NAREI. With the arrival of these extra seed nuts, this number will undoubtedly rise. The programme is expected to last until 2024, at which point the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) will investigate the possibilities of importing more types from other nations to help Guyana’s coconut germplasm become more diverse and hence increase coconut production.
He related, “Currently, under the National Coconut Decentralisation Programme, which is being implemented by HCIL and NAREI, 216 farmers have directly benefited from the programme. This number will certainly increase with the arrival of these additional seed nuts. The programme is slated to continue in 2024, and the MOA will look at the possibility of importing other varieties from other countries to aid in the diversification of Guyana’s coconut germplasm, directly increasing coconut production.”
The agriculture minister further stated that introducing improved, early-bearing, high-yielding coconut varieties of this type was long overdue because Guyana’s traditional coconut varieties were more than 40 years old. According to him, this introduction of new genetic material into the country’s coconut sector would not only auger well for improving its current genetic base for research, but it would also help increase production for farmers, especially small producers, who are directly involved in this milestone intervention.
“Given that Guyana’s conventional coconut types are more than 40 years old, the introduction of enhanced, early-bearing, high-yielding coconut varieties of this sort was long overdue. In addition to strengthening the nation’s current genetic base for research, the introduction of new genetic material into the coconut industry would benefit farmers—especially small producers—who are directly involved in this historic initiative by helping to boost productivity,” he added.
Meanwhile, the manager of Hope Estate, Ricky Roopchand, explained that he was pleased with all that the government, specifically Minister Mustapha, was doing to ensure that farmers are given the necessary help in the agricultural sector. According to him, “Minister Mustapha, along with the other representatives from the agricultural institutes, are working around the clock to make sure that our farmers are taken care of. Whether it is in coconut production or cash crops, this sector continues to grow massively, and we are prepared to grow with it.
“I must also say that the farmers are happy about where they are in the sector right now, and they are also excited to go forward for the New Year and what it has to offer.”
