Update from the Field: Avocado Production in the Dominican Republic
Farmer to Farmer volunteer Dr. Jonathan Crane, a specialist in green skin avocados from the University of Florida, traveled to the Dominican Republic to provide assistance to avocado producers. The producers and local extension agents were thrilled to receive this support because the green skin avocados make up the majority of avocados produced in the DR and require different care than other varieties.
Dr. Crane gave various workshops for producers and extension agents and made field visits to the orchards of individual producers. At one of the workshops with 25 people in Sabana Larga, San Jose de Ocoa the volunteer spent the morning training on good pruning practices, production processes and pest management. In the afternoon they went to the orchard of a producer to do a hands-on training in pruning, pest identification and pest control. The volunteer was well recieved because he gave recommendations that were economical and practical. For example, the volunteer suggested using sulfur as a way to control mildew pests and demonstrated the proper way to put organic compost or manure around the base of the avocado tree so that it does not touch the trunk at all and cause more harm than good. The training was useful, practical and so relevant the producers ended up staying out with the volunteer until it was too dark out. Jose Armando Bautista, an extension agent with ADESJO claims he learned new technical concepts for avocado production and especially the proper fertilization for green skin avocados and enjoyed working with the Farmer to Farmer volunteer.
 |
| Farmer to Farmer volunteer, Dr. Crane shows producers how to identify pests on their avocado trees. |
Dr. Crane gave various workshops for producers and extension agents and made field visits to the orchards of individual producers. At one of the workshops with 25 people in Sabana Larga, San Jose de Ocoa the volunteer spent the morning training on good pruning practices, production processes and pest management. In the afternoon they went to the orchard of a producer to do a hands-on training in pruning, pest identification and pest control. The volunteer was well recieved because he gave recommendations that were economical and practical. For example, the volunteer suggested using sulfur as a way to control mildew pests and demonstrated the proper way to put organic compost or manure around the base of the avocado tree so that it does not touch the trunk at all and cause more harm than good. The training was useful, practical and so relevant the producers ended up staying out with the volunteer until it was too dark out. Jose Armando Bautista, an extension agent with ADESJO claims he learned new technical concepts for avocado production and especially the proper fertilization for green skin avocados and enjoyed working with the Farmer to Farmer volunteer.
How can I import avocados from the Dominican Republic to Trinidad & Tobago?
ReplyDelete