Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

Country Profile

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines St Vincent is situated in the Windward Islands, with a chain of islands known as the Grenadines located between St Vincent and Grenada. The total land area is 389 km2 (150 mi2) with St. Vincent covering 344 km2. The larger Grenadine islands are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau and Union. St. Vincent is volcanic and mountainous with the highest peak – Soufriere - rising to approximately 1,219 m (4,000 ft). The average annual rainfall ranges from 1,524 mm to 3,810 mm (60 to 150 in). The economy of St Vincent and the Grenadines is based largely on agriculture, which contributed 7% of the Gross Domestic Product in 2007 (United Nations Statistics Division, 2008).  Banana is the main crop and accounts for over 50% of the work force and exports. There is a growing service sector which includes tourism, telemarketing and offshore financial services. The Government has been implementing a series of structural reforms including promotion of private sector growth, restructuring of the banana industry, and agricultural diversification. Among the agricultural products are: coconuts, sweet potatoes, eddoes, dasheen, arrowroot starch, spices, as well as small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and fish, while the output for plantains, pineapples, yams and peppers are increasing.

CARDI St. Vincent & the Grenadines Overview

The main focus of CARDI St. Vincent and the Grenadines is on roots and tubers, with emphasis on the development of the sweet potato and cassava industries.  CARDI St. Vincent and the Grenadines is also the Institute’s pioneer centre for undercover / protected agriculture systems development for vegetable production. In order to support the Government’s agricultural diversification programme, the Unit undertakes research and development activities for the production of hot peppers.

Work Programme for the Medium Term 2008-2010

Commodity development – Crops

Sweet potatoes

  • Develop and implement and transfer IPM strategies for management of sweet potato grub (Phyllophaga spp.)
  • Evaluate pink/maroon skin white flesh varieties for local consumption and export
  • Upgrade production guide

Cassava

  • Evaluate and select high yielding disease resistant varieties introduced from CIAT for processing into value added products
  • Develop and extend planting material production systems for cassava

Protected Agriculture

  • Evaluate production systems for commonly grown vegetables
  • Evaluate vegetable varieties for yield and acceptability

Bananas

  • Evaluate banana productivity under fertigation

Country Highlight Reports

For highlights of work by the CARDI office in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Click here

 

CARDI Representative

Dr Gregory Robin

Contact Information

CARDI St Vincent & the Grenadines
PO Box 594
Rivulet
Kingstown
St Vincent & the Grenadines.
Phone: (784) 457-1535
Fax: (784) 456-2420
Email: cardisvg@vincysurf.com

Partners and Collaborators