Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) has started distribution of 5,000 tissue cultured sweet cayenne pineapple slips throughout the islands.
“This is an initiative to stimulate the Bahamian pineapple industry by introducing a better variety,” said BAIC assistant general manager (agriculture) Arnold Dorsett.
BAIC is headed by South Abaco Member of Parliament, Edison M. Key.
The slips were imported and hardened at Nassau’s Lucayan Tropical hydroponics farm.
Already 2,500 have been sent to Andros, Abaco, Grand Bahama, Exuma, Eleuthera, Long Island, Mayaguana, and San Salvador.
Included in the second distribution are the Andros Plant Propagation Centre, the Abaco Farmers Co-operative Society, Cat Island, and major pineapple growers in Eleuthera, Long Island, Crooked Island and Rum Cay.
“The slips were received in excellent condition,” said Mr Dorsett. “Farmers may set them out right away.”
He encouraged farmers to use black plastic mulch so weed would not compete with the pineapple plants for nutrients.
“Farmers who have grown pineapples should know what to do,” he said. “New growers are asked to contact the Ministry of Agriculture, BAIC, or seasoned farmers on how to properly manage pineapple slips.”
Compared with the native variety, sweet cayenne pineapples grow larger, do not have the spiny tops, and they are bred to be sweeter, he said.
Presently, this variety is imported from Costa Rica and sold in the food stores.
“If we could produce them we would not have to import them,” said Mr Dorsett.
Pineapple plants produce up to eight baby plants which can be replanted as next season’s crops.
BAIC’s next initiative is the distribution of fruit trees – avocado, mango, sour sop, guava, and Persian lime.
By Gladstone Thurston
Bahamas Information Services
