BOOSTING TOMATO PRODUCTION
Farmers on the leeward side of the island got the opportunity to examine the productivity of four (4) lines of tomatoes as the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) continues its efforts to boost tomato production.
The four lines the tomatoes being evaluated are the AVTO 2151, AVTO 1915 the AVTO 2214 and the Ninja varieties.
Speaking from Rose Hall on Tuesday, CARDI’s local representative Donowa Jackson said the four lines being evaluated have already shown good results in terms of heat tolerance, pest and disease resistance, taste and shelf life He said Tuesday’s visit allows both the stakeholders and farmers to examine the performance of the four lines of tomatoes in the field.
Also speaking on Tuesday Acting Senior Extension Officer Koromo Browne who said the four lines of tomatoes are the open pollenated type which are high yielding and more cost effective for farmers.
Chief Agriculture Officer Renato Gumbs also paid a visit to the trial plot, noting that he is pleased with the results seen so far. Gumbs said it is hoped that seeds from the four lines of tomatoes can be made available to farmers as soon as possible.
Farmers also got the opportunity to evaluate the taste of the four varieties.
