Thirty-one-year-old Duane Harvey, a Sea Moss Farmer in the South of the Island, is in the process of adding value to his product, as he aims to target more markets and scale up production.
Duane made the decision to become a full-time farmer, around eight (8) years ago, as part of efforts to resuscitate one of the Marine Protected Areas. He said, ”After Hurricane Ivan, we were replanting the mangroves and trying to find alternatives to feeding animals in the area that feed off mangroves. They came up with the idea to do the Sea-Moss; I started doing it and developed a love for it, so I quit my job at the time and got into it fulltime.”
Harvey admitted that, at first, the venture was a bit challenging but through the assistance of individuals such as
Willan Andrew, he has progressed. “He is my mentor, when I was struggling, he was there to show me a lot of the techniques for the propagation of Sea Moss.Since then, it has been a bit better; now it is just about scaling up my venture.”
The production increase that he has experienced is influenced by the amount of time that he spends on his farm. “ I am here almost every day, taking care of my plots, cleaning them and even planting more; things like ensuring that the plastic bottles are used, help the Sea Moss to stay afloat at getting sunlight.” The increase was also influenced by the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. “Everybody wants to get healthy, and alot of people realized the benefits of drinking Sea Moss, so this was a blessing in disguise; the sale has picked up a bit.”
He encourages young persons interested in starting up Sea Moss plots to go for it. “That’s the go, you have to be consistent; it’s not about making money, you have to do your best to get good harvests, so we can tell the world what we are offering is premium product.”
Although he manages the farm alone, from time to time he hires staff, especially on days where he needs to harvest. He plans to increase production of the raw material that will provide more for his established clients and go towards the production of his soaps and Sea Moss-based beverages.
Duane is one of the Farmers that is supporting the De La Grenade Productive Alliance with Sea Moss under the OECS Regional Agriculture Competitiveness Project (AGRICOM), being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture
Technical Tip l Lining and Spacing for Bananas
These are the actions undertaken by the farmer to line the area to be planted and to determine the distance between plants in the lined area.
The number of plants per acre can affect the profitability of the crop.
Too few plants mean that there is unused space that encourages weed growth; whereas plants that are too close create a local environment conducive to the development of diseases.
To maintain even spacing between plants, the designated area for planting the bananas must be properly lined by following these steps:
Step 1:
You will need three sticks about 12-16 inches long, a measuring tape and one roll of twine.
Step 2:
The next step is to square off the area. At one corner of the field that has been prepared for the banana plants, establish a right angle.
Step 3:
Then pull the twine to the end of the field in one direction, then in the other direction, ensuring the twines touch each of the two sticks in each of the directions of the right angle established.
Step 4:
At the required spacing intervals, place 2-3 ft length pickets to mark out where the holes are to be dug.
Step 5:
A spacing of 8 ft X 8 ft is usually recommended but this could vary based on topography and other factors.
Information taken from the Banana Tech-Pack 2020 developed by Mr.Derek Charles-National Specialist at IICA Grenada.
PLANTING DAYS – APRIL
10th – 11th: Poor planting days. Break ground or cultivate
12th – 14th: Favourable for planting beans, corn, cotton, tomatoes, peppers, and other aboveground crops.
12th – 15th: Poor days for planting, seeds, tend to rot in ground
