Praia, Cape Verde, 3 June – The first phase of the project to re-launch the banana crop on the Cape Verdean island of Santiago has begun and this year a total of 15,000 banana plants are due to be planted, Cape Verdean news agency Inforpress reported.

The National Institute for Agricultural Research (INIDA) and the delegation of the ministry for the Environment, Housing and Land Planning, in São Lourenço dos Órgãos and Santa Cruz are responsible for the project.

Speaking to Inforpress, a technician from INIDA, Nora Silva, said preparations were being made for the launch of the tender for construction of facilities, specifically tanks and the acquisition of plants.

The new banana plant varieties would be imported, Silva said, for now declining to name the countries from which they would be imported.

The project is part of a programme to re-launch the banana crop and diversify agricultural production on Santiago Island, which has funding of 600,000 euros from the European Union (EU) and 100,000 euros from the Cape Verdean government.

The project aims to re-launch the banana crop by introducing “in vitro” crops along with new irrigation technology in order to combat banana blight. (macauhub)