Hopetown grows onions

May 05, 2017 News

A number of farmers from Hopetown Village and the West Berbice environs, were on hand last week Friday to witness the harvesting of onions grown in the village under the PROPEL initiative.

The reaped onion.

PROPEL, The Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages, is a Canadian funded project connecting fresh produce buyers in the region and beyond with Caribbean farmers, processors and related businesses. And, the project is implemented by WUSC, World University Services of Canada, with the financial support of donors, and the Government of Canada.
The WUSC Caribbean works with a range of market actors including buyers, producers, input suppliers, research institutes, extension service providers, and Governments, as the project seeks to promote the absorption of fresh Caribbean produce into high-value national, regional and international markets. And, as part of the project, individuals in various parts of Guyana have been receiving relevant support in the production of onions and other crops.
While PROPEL has been in operation in Guyana since 2012, the onion initiative was launched just about two years ago with projects in Regions Three, Five, Six, and Ten, seeking to encourage gender equality and youth participation, as well as environmental sustainability and good governance. A number of volunteers were identified to produce seedlings, and farmers identified were provided with seedlings, chemicals, and technical support for the production of onions, and last Friday, officials from WUSC together with other farmers descended on a farm in Hopetown, West Coast Berbice, to witness the harvesting of onions produced by a female participant.
According to the farmer, she received about 600 plants as a start. She also received chemicals from the project coordinators, and there were regular visits from technical staff who offered advice where necessary.
Comparing the harvest with a few crops harvested earlier, one officer said that the yield was better, attributing it to the nature of the soil, noting that onions require loose soil which allows larger bulbs. The officer also pointed out that onion which matures in about ninety days, should be planted at a time which would allow for most of the maturing stage to be during the dry season. Too much moisture could lead to bulbs developing soft rot. Onion is best grown in the open rather than in shady areas.
The PROPEL initiative is seeking to have other farmers become involved as time goes by, and with the close monitoring of the project, those getting on-board stand to benefit from the lessons learnt from the experiences of the other farmers. Trained personnel from the National Agricultural Research Institute, NARI, are also available to provide farmers with technical support.
Given the framework of PROPEL, farmers can be seen as being assured of relevant support through the various stages of cultivation, and farmers are even assured of market for their produce.
Of the plots harvested so far, the outcome has been very encouraging. Farmers from Region Five had previously witnessed harvesting of onions in Region Six. As part of the project, farmers are encouraged to visit other producers which should allow them to learn from each other.
With the encouraging results seen so far in the production of onions, it is now up to farmers to maximize their potential and to make the best of the facilities available through PROPEL, for as long as production is of satisfactory quality, market can be found locally as well as overseas. It also means that there are opportunities awaiting anyone who wants to get involved in the production of onion on a very large scale.
The PROPEL onion iniative so far has shown that onion can be successfully grown in Guyana, and since most, if not all the onions consumed in Guyana is imported, there may be wonderful opportunities for those who choose to go into large scale production of onions.
The Country Coordinator of PROPEL, Guyana is Malisa Lowden, while Leslie Lewis is one of the extension officers operating between Regions Five and Six. (Bertie Peters)

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