By Ernesto Cooke- St. Vincent and the Grenadines was well known in the United Kingdom, for its “Green Gold” banana industry for over half a century, as a part of the Windward Islands banana platform. Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines exported bananas weekly through WIBDECO/ WINFRESH and later the Fair Trade Organisation.
Over the last two decades, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has advanced a diversification approach to agriculture, in the aftermath of the demise of the banana export industry caused by the removal of trade preferences.
Fast forward to today, the island has now declared a magical superfood – dasheen, as its future “Blue Gold.” Blue because most varieties of dasheen when cooked has a slightly blue colour.
There are several agri-ecological zones on the main island, St. Vincent that can produce dasheen throughout the year. The island’s rich volcanic soil and the recent ash eruptions of its volcano adds a unique flavour to the commodity which is sold as a premium tasting dasheen.
Over the past years, market entry into the United States of America, has encouraged many farmers to expand production. Dasheen is also currently exported to the UK and France. The regional market for dasheen is a major importer, with Trinidad and Tobago being the largest importer. The current thrust has a unique focus on import substitution, value addition and the introduction of modern technology to production. (CARICOM Today)
