Cuba: plantain cultivation to be modernised

Cuba: plantain cultivation to be modernised

Tholen - Growers in the Cuban province of Camagüey are working to have
planted 6700 ha of plantains by September 2006, in order to feed the
local population. This requires a total acreage of 12.000 to 13.000 ha,
based on 13,4 ha per 1000 inhabitants to produce a sufficient quantity.
The drought in 2004 and 2005 have made these targets hard to achieve,
but the planting at a higher density (HD; three times the normal number
of plants per ha) which is planned for the coming six months, will
produce higher productions in combination with irrigation.

Growers from the five eastern provinces of Camagüey have exchanged their
experiences with this method, during an event in the province of Granma,
where a number of HD plantations were visited. One studied the progress
of a number of growers cooperatives, as of private companies such as
Paquito Rosales, de Yara, Manzanillo, Campechuela and Niquero. The
province of Granma presently holds 561 of HD plantations. Although
relatively new to Cuba, HD plantations have already been successfully
applied in South and Central America.

Publication date: 30 Mar 2006
Author: André van der Wiel

http://www.freshplaza.com/2006/30mrt/1_cu_plantain.htm