There were experts here, Sir / Letters
Date: Tue 06-Jul-1993
Paper Page: 7
Publication: Daily Nation
IN THE DAILY NATION of April 13, Mr. C. Othneil Williams stated that "we
did not have the expertise . . . and we will bring in outside expertise". I
will deal with this statement later in this letter.
As the fruit agronomist at Soil Conservation in 1971, I was responsible for the
first serious effort at fruit production in this country (Lucas, R.D. 1973 a and
b. Proc. Caribbean Food Crop Society. 11: 378-388 and 460-465)
I had envisaged the island becoming self-sufficient in fruit and fruit juices,
with the ancilliary development of a fruit processing industry. To this end,
through the Ministry of Agriculture, passion fruit seeds and cuttings of the
"Centeno Prolific" cultivar of guava, which had been developed
specifically for the processing industry, were imported from Trinidad. The
Barbados cherry was also planted on a large scale.
Twenty years later, the country is not self-sufficient in fruit, and it is
doubtful if anyone can locate any "Centeno Prolific" plants. Passion
fruit technology and culture have not got anywhere and the Barbados cherry
seldom bears owing to pest and disease problems.
Sammy, G.M. (1974), Dept. Chem, Eng. UWI, has clearly stated the requirements
for the development of food processing industries in these parts; which briefly
are an adequate supply of local raw material and technological know-how.
These criteria have not been met in the fruit area. Actually, the fruit
processing industries in this country have become packaging plants for excess
raw material produced in the more developed countries.
It should also be pointed out that in many cases, where lesser known tropical
fruits are concerned, the processing parameters are unknown. Indeed in some
cases, processing equipment would have to be invented.
For example, Lucas R.D. (1976), MSc. (Eng.) thesis, UWI, was the first to
demonstrate the parameters and storage properties for the concentration and
storage of West Indian lime juice under atmospheres of nitrogen and carbon
dioxide.
In 1987, I was invited to sit in at one meeting held at the Ministry of
Agriculture, when the Agro-Processing Company was in the planning stages.
It was quite evident then, that the persons associated with the project did not
have a clue about processing technology. Secondly, whatever the criteria were
for selection of personnel, technical capability seemed to have been last on the
list.
It is therefore inaccurate for Mr. C. Othneil Williams to say that expertise is
or was not available. Any attempt to process fruit without having adequate local
supplies of raw material, is doomed to failure.
-- ROBERT D. LUCAS, PhD, food biotechnologist