This project seeks to enhance productivity & sustainability: Train farmers on good agricultural practices such as pest and disease management and integrated production methods to improve productivity, increase the supply of coconuts and support farmer income.
Outcome 2: Competitiveness and sustainability is enhanced by dissemination of production intensification methods and by improving synergies between different actors involved in value chains
Activities
• Mapping & characterization of coconut plantations
• Improving Good Agriculture Practices
• Quality Planting Material
• National producer and cluster group strengthening
• Value-Added Production
• Intra/inter-regional exchanges
Output 2.1: Integrated management and intensification of production systems
• Desk research, group workshops and drafting of report on intensification and integrated farming practices completed and disseminated
• Exchange visits to CICY and INIFAD (Mexico), EMBRAPA (Brazil), APPC/ India and Pacific
• 4 Regional Workshops and International Coconut Conference
• Germplasm collected locally and utilized for the production of seedlings
• Procurement of in vitro plantlets from CICY (Mexico)
Output 2.2 Improved effectiveness of research and extension through regional synergies
• More than 1,700 farmers and 450 extension officers across the region trained in production on quality planting material, husbandry, seed multiplication, marketing, trade, finance
• 25 nurseries established and/or supported servicing than 5,000 farmers in the Caribbean
• Tissue Culture Laboratories assessed in 9 countries for management of in vitro plants
• Desktop research disseminated through the NSPs and local partners
• Mapping of producers and coconut varieties
• Creation of database with coconut mother palm selection
Output 2.3 Support for the dissemination of technological innovations to make better use of the coconut tree
• Regional meetings on coconut processing and value added products conducted in Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana and in Trinidad and Tobago
• Investment and market profiles for prioritised product-market combinations (coconut water, virgin coconut oil and seedling production) to leverage private and public investments
Output 2.4 Technical Capacity building of producer groups and associations
CARDI internet and social media sites upgraded to disseminate coconut sector information
25 nurseries established and/or supported servicing than 5,000 farmers in the Caribbean
