Saint Lucia farmers have been equipped with new skills to boost fruit production and reduce the country’s reliance on imported food, through a hands-on workshop on advanced guava grafting techniques supported by Taiwan.
The training formed part of the Seven Crops Project, an agricultural initiative aimed at lowering Saint Lucia’s food import bill by strengthening local production and introducing crop varieties with greater commercial potential.
The project’s first phase focused on seven priority crops – watermelon, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe and bell pepper. Its second phase expands the focus, aiming to diversify production further and increase the availability of locally grown produce for both consumers and commercial buyers.
The guava grafting workshop introduced farmers to a fresh consumption guava variety sourced from Taiwan, which offers a longer shelf life and greater market appeal compared to traditional local varieties that are primarily used for processing.
“From our different discussions with the buyers, such as the hotels, the different supermarket chains and so on in Saint Lucia, we saw the need to improve the variety of crops offered at the supermarkets. So we’re looking at a different type of guava…. This is not a processing guava, this is a guava that is perfect for eating. It’s a guava, from what we have seen so far – because we’ve had it on the farm in an experimental way – that can have a longer shelf life,” said Seven Crops Project Coordinator Adeline Eudovic.
During the workshop, farmers received practical, hands-on training in grafting techniques designed to improve fruit quality, increase yields, and strengthen resistance to pests and diseases. Those skills can also be applied to other tree crops, including mangoes and other similar fruit varieties.
Officials say the initiative is part of wider efforts to strengthen agricultural resilience by building technical capacity among farmers, diversifying production, and improving food security.
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