13,000 Brazilian green dwarf coconut seed nuts arrive  

IN order to promote farmer engagement in the lucrative coconut industry, the Guyana government, via the Ministry of Agriculture consistently supplies farmers with high-yielding coconut seed nuts.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, stated that a shipment of 13,000 Brazilian green dwarf coconut seed nuts arrived at the Hope Coconut Estate on June 6th, enclosed in a 40-foot container.
According to him, under the guidance of President Dr Irfaan Ali, they are continuing to revitalise the coconut industry, making coconuts one of the main crops in Guyana.
Minister Mustapha said, “Coconut has tremendous value around the world, and right here in the Caribbean, we have seen that many islands are importing a lot of their products from Asia, Japan, etc., so we here in Guyana have the opportunity to supply these different countries with our products.”
Given that coconut is among the prioritised commodities of the ministerial task force, the agriculture minister affirmed that the Government of Guyana will persist in prioritising these initiatives. In accordance with his remarks, these initiatives form an integral part of the comprehensive strategy implemented by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in order to curtail Guyana’s food-importation expenses, a goal that the nation possesses the capacity to realise.
Commenting on the vast difference between the Brazilian green dwarf compared to the ones that we have in Guyana, Minister Mustapha said, “These coconuts that we are bringing into the country are high-yielding, high-value coconuts; presently, the coconuts that we have in Guyana give about 300 to 350 millilitres of water.
“These coconuts that we are importing have the potential to give us 700 to 750 millilitres of water, which is about 400 millilitres extra for us. It is a multi-variety, multi-purpose coconut that produces approximately 260 nuts per year, compared to about 160 nuts that are being produced by the ones that we currently have.”
He also noted that those coconuts also have the potential to produce water, copra, and oil, along with fibre, which farmers can use as mulch.
Additionally, Minister Mustapha reflected on his recent visit to Region Two (Pomeroon/ Supenaam), where he distributed 3000 high-yield Brazilian green dwarf coconut plants to farmers in the Pomeroon.
He further stated that the aim of the initiative is to significantly expand the coconut output in the Pomeroon River and generate revenue, which Minister Mustapha said will strengthen the county’s economic growth.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Hope Estate’s General Manager, Mr. Ricky Roopchand, explained that the shipment of the green dwarf coconut from Brazil was made possible by funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through the Ministry of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP).
According to Mr Roopchand, “This intervention is expected to directly benefit at least 220 coconut farmers around the country by providing them with high-quality coconut seedlings. I want to also state that this project falls under the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Coconut Decentralisation Programme.”
He also added that this batch of seed nuts will be used to stock the coconut nurseries at Lethem, Region Nine; Mabaruma, Region One; Charity, Region Two; and Hope Coconut Estate in Region Four.
Mr Roopchand mentioned that there are several other shipments (from Brazil and Costa Rica) that are expected to arrive shortly. “With the government and Minister Mustapha’s effort in making sure that every coconut farmer benefits from these high-yielding coconuts, we will be the new batch [sic] to stock the other seven nurseries in the country. It is also estimated that in the next two months, a total of 76,0000 seed nuts will be in the system to meet the farmers’ needs.”
Furthermore, Mr. Roopchand disclosed that under this programme, two new types of coconut seed nuts, the BRS-001 Hybrid from Brazil and the Philippine green dwarf from Costa Rica, will be introduced into Guyana’s coconut industry.
“Both are three-year-high-producing cultivars, and we are also exploring the possibility of importing additional varieties from Mexico and Asia.”