Ginger has 'green' future
Published:Saturday | February 12, 2011 | 12:00 AM
George Henry, Gleaner Writer
TOP ALSTON, Clarendon: A GINGER project, which was launched by Prime Minister Bruce Golding more than two years ago as part of the National Labour Day Project at Top Alston in Clarendon, has been turned into a research centre.
According to Michael Stern, member of parliament (MP) for North West Clarendon, stakeholders in the project have been working with the export division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, as well as the Christiana Potato Co-op, which have all become partners of the ginger project.
"We believe now that the long-term future of ginger depends on farming in greenhouses in a consistent way," said Stern.
Acidic soil
He noted that if cultivated in the soil, a break would have to be given to the soil every two years, based on research which has been carried out in the ginger-farming areas of the constituency.
"We have found out that the ginger leaves have a certain acidic substance in the soil and, therefore, if something else is not planted to get this substance out and to treat that soil, then it will result in the ginger which is being planted developing a root rot or it just boils up in the soil," explained Stern.
He stressed that when this happens, farmers lose the majority of the crop in the soil prior to it being ready for harvesting. To prevent this, Stern said ginger farmers have now started to benefit from education on the matter of how they should go about rotating the crop as well as other best practices to be employed in the cultivation of the condiment.
Two-year break
"We are now telling farmers what are the requirements for planting their ginger crops, including telling them that if they plant it on the soil this year, they should not replant it on that same plot of land next year, but give the place a rest for about two years," said the MP.
However, Stern said greenhouse ginger can be planted all year round, because the plants can be placed in something other than soil called perilite, which can be removed from the greenhouse once the crop is harvested.
The MP expressed pleasure that the experiment taking place at Top Alston has been working quite well, adding that he was more pleased that the Ministry of Agriculture has been spending money to back up that which is being spent from his constituency development fund to make the experiment with the crop works as part of what he claims is a commercial feasibility programme.