By S.Browne. Updated 5:42 p.m., Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Farmers, agricultural extension officers, Ministry personnel and other stakeholders are receiving specialised training in coconut and soursop production as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provides technical support aimed at strengthening local capacity and supporting the revitalisation and competitiveness of SVG’s coconut industry.
The FAO technical mission began on August 24 and will conclude on August 31 under the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme project, “Building Effective Public-Private Partnerships for Production and Marketing of Sustainable Agricultural Products” (TCP/SVG/4001).
The training covers practical aspects of modern coconut production and management, including nursery development, orchard establishment, soil and plant nutrition, pest and disease management, harvesting, rehabilitation and Good Agricultural Practices.
Participants are also receiving specialised training in soursop production, including propagation, grafting, orchard management, pruning, fertilisation, and pest and disease management.
Two days of training have already been completed at Orange Hill, with a third session scheduled for Wednesday, August 26. The mission will then move to Layou, where additional training will be conducted on the Leeward side of the island.
The technical training is being led by Brazilian tropical fruit specialist Dr Abel Rebouças São José, a former Rector of the Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia and former President of the Brazilian Society of Fruit Growing.
According to the mission information, Dr Rebouças brings decades of experience in tropical fruit research, teaching, extension and industry development, with particular expertise in coconut and soursop. He has also served as an international consultant with FAO on agricultural development initiatives in the Caribbean, including assignments in Saint Lucia, Grenada and Belize.
The mission is expected to strengthen local technical capacity and improve farmer knowledge while supporting the revitalisation and competitiveness of the national coconut industry.
The programme is targeting at least 100 Ministry staff, extension officers, farmers and other stakeholders.
Another key component is the development of technical recommendations for the farmer-led coconut replanting initiative, along with other follow-up actions.
The mission forms part of the FAO Coconut Value Chain Pilot Programme and will conclude on August 31 with final training activities and a debriefing with the Minister and technical team.
The debriefing is expected to focus on the mission’s key findings, recommendations and next steps.
The current intervention builds on previous efforts to examine and develop agricultural value chains in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In 2024, FAO facilitated a value-chain selection exercise in which public and private sector stakeholders assessed six commodities, including coconut, for their potential for further development. Hot pepper was ultimately selected as the second commodity for development under that particular project.
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