A dasheen post-harvest handling training session was held here recently at the Community of
Caribbean and Latin American Countries (CELAC), Food and Nutrition Security Centre at
Stoney Grounds, Kingstown.
The training, funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), was designed to assist
exporters and farmers to improve their post-harvest handling practices. The activity shed light on
a range of issues including common causes of post-harvest losses, along with techniques and
strategies to reduce those losses. Additionally, best practices in commercial storage, management
of environmental factors, delivery handling, and sanitization of the root crop were also presented
to the participants.
Samuel De Costa, Agronomist and trainer from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),
expressed satisfaction with the training session and the receptiveness of the participants. De
Costa said the training is vital and indicated that similar initiatives are in the pipeline.
The expansion of markets for dasheen is a welcomed development within the agricultural sector
here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as the regional and global demand for the root crop
continues to surge, thus providing more opportunities for farmers and exporters.
The recent training session was facilitated by the CELAC Food and Nutrition Security Centre in
Stoney Grounds.