Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicolas Naranja
{extract} I have to wonder if these crititcisms are not just promulgated by the banana industry to avoid criticism about their continued use of disease and insect susceptible cultivars. People at the market love goldfinger bananas.
{extract} Your solution of polyclonal fields grown by small farmers would be extremely beneficial to me. First it would make bananas more expensive and I am already producing at a decent margin so your plan puts money in my pocket.
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Nicolas,
As to your
1st point extracted: I suspect that there is a case to be made both for and against FHIA.
FHIA (...and in the West, little known
IITA, Africa; EMBRAPA, Brasil; and NRCB, India...) face tremendous propaganda obstacles in the metroplolitan press.
FHIA has to counter with puffery of their own
(Africa, Brasil & India have their own vast internal markets for their new breeds - which are tailored for these home markets - they don't give a hoot about what others think of them). FHIA must market itself to the world at large - or it will perish. So there is a serious disjunction between FHIA's hype & and the press's spin on FHIA's bananas.
I'd tend to lean on the side of the underdog.
Frankly, I'd like to get my hands on some FHIA AAAAs and the AAAB "Goldfinger" to help get this country (Trinidad & Tobago) out of the Food Production morass within which it has emplaced itself. I'm sure FHIA's vars can make a great difference here on T&T.
Unfortunately, it isn't that easy to land the material... whether sourced from FHIA or the ITC. The problem is on this side. That's why they used to call folks like us the "Third World"... you have to live it to understand it!
Now to your
2nd point.
Polyclonal culture saves $$. It keeps down variable costs
and lowers the overall risk profile of the enterprise.
You will make more money... but your prices will be lower... there'll be winners all around!! Pass the banana wine.
shannon
shannon.di.corse@gmail.com