by Linda Straker
- GNOW’s floriculture project at 4 sites, in St David, St Patrick and St George
- New Zealand provided grant funding of EC$44,000 for project
- Plants purchase supported by grant funding from Commonwealth Countries League
Anton Ojala, New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Grenada and other regional territories is satisfied with the progress of a floriculture project that his country is co-funding in Grenada.
A project of the Grenada National Organisation of Women (GNOW), “Upscaling a Promising Sustainable Livelihoods Project for Rural Women” involves the growing of anthurium flowers at 4 sites: 2 in St David and 1 each in St Patrick and St George.
The plants were purchased with grant funding from the Commonwealth Countries League and imported from Holland. The sites are managed by women who have formed themselves into cooperatives.
Ambassador Ojala, who was in Grenada last week, presented his credentials to Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell and visited the Mt Gay, St George site led by Ester Henry-Fleary. “I am very pleased to come and have a look at this project to see what our money is being used for. The plants are looking great and I think they are well looked after,” he said after touring the facility.
New Zealand provided grant funding of EC$44,000 for the project, to be used to build the green/shade houses and purchase equipment for the successful implementation and management of the sites.
“There is a small amount of money that I have to spread around the region, but when we have seen a project and how it is working effectively, we will work again in the future with the organisation,” he said.
Henry-Fleary who has been involved in the Chelsea Flower Show for several years said that the market in Grenada is very good for flowers and its many value-added products, but anthuriums are among those that are hard to find.
“In fact, it is very difficult to get anthuriums, even the gingers which give less problems to grow. It is always a problem to get plants to supply the market,” she said, pointing out that the scarcity has resulted in the importation of flowers.
Lorice Pascal of GNOW said that the project is aimed at building capacity and empowering women as part the organisation’s broad-based sustainable livelihood plan. “The idea of this project is to empower women. Therefore, it is complementary to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Zero Hungry Project as well as the national development plan. When women can engage in sustainable projects it makes a big difference to them personally and socially,” she said.
Pascal said the intention of GNOW is to expand on the project because there is a demand for floriculture products worldwide.
