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Disease hits Pomeroon coconut farmers
Pomeroon farmers are assessing that if effective interventions are not immediately taken by the revelant bodies to address the problem that they continue to face with the prolonged infestation of the Red Palm Mite disease that continues to destroy both the mature and young coconut trees as well as the banana and plantain suckers, the coconut industry is
Some of the affected coconut farmers.
on a brink of collapse.
“The problem have gotten worst, if nothing is been done to address the problem by another year, the coconut industry would be gone.”
Coconut growers have already seen a decline of some 30 percent in their coconut production. They are anticipating a further decline by year end if there is no change in the situation. At issue is the coconut cultivation
Babita, who hails from Land of Promise, in the Lower Pomeroon River, said that the situation has worsened. Coconut farming is what she and her family depend on for a living.
The frustrated farmer said that the young coconut fruit are falling off. This gives an indication that the coconut tree is dying.
The frustrated farmer said that she has been applying “Monocrotophus” to her affected coconut trees but has noticed in some instances that some of the coconut trees continue to worsen.
Babita, who owns some eight hundred acres of coconut farm lands stressed that the problem is not isolated to only one particular area in the Pomeroon River. Rather it is widespread in the entire Pomeroon. Farmers are worried over what will happen should the coconut Industry fail.
Another coconut farmer, Seigfreid Gill, of Marlborough, in the Lower Pomeroon River said that prior to experiencing the problem with the Red Palm Mite disease, one of his coconut trees at the start of the bearing used to produce a dozen coconuts on one thrush. Today Gill said he has been noticing one and two coconuts on one thrush.
He said that almost half of his coconut trees are dying slowly and he is worried. He wants to know what other strategy to apply in order to save his production. His dependence is on coconut.
Other farmers including, David Kansinally, Albert Benn, Errol Sam, Julian Benn and Randolph Hammon, who spoke with this newspaper maintained that all coconut farmers shared the same concerns with regard to the serious problem. They face the severe threat of the Red Palm Mite disease. They are appealing to the experts within the Agriculture Ministry to see their plight as a “priority.”
Farmers who are not applying chemicals to their affected coconut trees have also expressed concerns about those farmers who are applying chemicals to affected trees and are selling those coconuts on the market.
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