Mr. Johnson Southwell, a Mango Farmer from Old Road who has his farm in Orange Valley, is usually in attendance at Mango Fest over the past years and he assures the public that he will definitely be there at this year’s Pineapple Mango Fest (PiAngo Fest).
Mr. Southwell thinks that incorporating Pineapple into Mango Fest is the best thing that could be done, although reports have indicated that pineapple has been included in past Mango Fests.
“This should have been done a long time ago considering that Antigua has one of the best Pineapples in the world,” stated Mr. Southwell.
For the ‘picky’ mango eater, Southwell said that he will have a variety of mangoes on display at PiAngoFest which takes place next weekend at Cades Bay Agricultural Station..
He said he would usually have about twenty-eight (28) varieties, but due to challenging weather conditions this season, he would only have around ten (10).
When asked about venturing into the agro -processing field, he said that this is not something he would do at this time as being a farmer alone is a lot of work. For now, he just provides for agro processors.
As a farmer , Southwell said that he encounters quite a number of challenges , the main one being problems with irrigation on his farms as it is very difficult for him to access water.
Relating to the drop in the number of varieties of mangoes he reaps this season, the veteran farmer said that insufficient water usually results in mango trees either not bearing or bearing insufficient amount of mangoes.
Predial larceny is not a main challenge he faces at this time like many of his colleagues.
‘I used to experience it but now, it rarely ever happens. “
In terms of agricultural development, Mr. Southwell thinks that the government should conduct its own internal research when it comes to moving the agricultural sector forward.
“We can’t depend on external sources to do our research, because what may be good for them is not good for us,” stated Mr. Southwell.
With this being done, Southwell said that the agriculture industry could be more stabilized with farmers being more knowledgeable about what to plant at what time of the year and which areas to plant certain crops for a bountiful harvest.
In the meanwhile, The Ministry of Agriculture has recently developed a Marketing Plan through assistance of the FAO which addresses this and other concerns.
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great stuff…….natural food keeps a national health
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