Nutmeg farmers in Grenada can expect an increase in price for the crops from February1 and to run for the next three months.
The announcement was made by officials of the Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association (GCNA) at a meeting with local reporters. Farmers were being paid $2.00 per lb for green nutmeg but the price will be increased by $0.50. In addition, the price of dry nutmegs will move from $2.60 to $3.00 while mace remains at six dollars per pound.
With the price increases, GCNA is hoping to receive three million pounds or 640 tones of nutmegs for 2007.
The increase is another incentive programmes being offered by the commodity board to encourage farmers to harvest the crop, most of which is reportedly left in the field to rot.
Board Director, Ramsey Rush, said that one of the reasons why farmers were having difficulty in harvesting their crop is due to improper means of accessing their farms following the passage of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 which brought widespread damage to the nutmeg industry.
He said that in light of this GCNA has been assisting farmers to deal with the situation and that government is also planning to modify its debushing programme to assist the farmers in clearing their farms.
Rush admitted that the association was going through a difficult period but said the board is trying to bring greater profitability to farmers.
"Just give us time, we'll succeed," he said, adding that the nutmeg crop grown this year was the biggest crop ever seen.
According to Board Chairman, Augustine Vesprey, there is a need to get farmers back into the fields, adding that last year alone almost $1 million worth of nutmegs were lost in the fields.
Vesprey touched on efforts being made by the association to diversify and pointed to the constructing of a $15 million business complex near to the headquarters on Lagoon Road, St George's.
The project is being financed through a $12.5 million loan from First Caribbean International Bank, with government putting in another $2.5 million in concessions on building supplies.
The building is approximately 45% complete and when fully completed will contain two acres of rental space.
